Colton Lee

This past Monday we had our 20 week ultrasound appointment with the specialist; he was checking out Colton's heart & lungs to make sure that they are developing normally.  I have to admit that I LOVE that we get to see Baby C more than the norm but it is very unnerving to know that there could potentially be an issue with either his heart or lungs or both like his daddy.  I am just thankfully every time I get to see him, hear his heart beat & get the reassurance that he is in fact developing perfectly & looks completely healthy.  We go back at 28 weeks for one last check & like I said I am excited that we get to see him again but until after that appointment will have worry & fear in the back of my mind some where.

Here he is in all of his glory; his heart rate was 143 & he weights 13 oz.  He was playing with his feet the whole entire time they were doing the 30+ minute ultrasound; he would grab a foot with one hand & then with the other  hand & then with both hands.........it amazes me what he is capable of already doing being so small & fragile!

15 Month Stats......

Brayden had his 15 month check up yesterday & had to get FOUR shots; he had to get his boosters as well as his flu shot.  He did so great with the shots & only cried for a minute & then was good to go.  He is growing very well & in the 75th percentile height wise (32 in) & then average on his weight (24 lbs.) & head circumference (18.5 in.). 

I hated that he had to get shots but I think they might have been a God send because he took a wonderful 3 hour nap yesterday afternoon & the slept until 7 this morning!!  I am hoping that he is getting a great nap a school today & that he will be as happy as he was this morning when I dropped him off & be able to stay up until 8pm tonight & then sleep until 7 or later again tomorrow morning.............fingers crossed!!!

Here are some photos of Brayden in his new hat; still won't wear gloves or mittens but the hat stays on because of the strap!!!

Damn Time Change........

We were already working to keep Brayden up past 7-7:30 & it hasn't been very easy.  We have been slowly trying to get to 8 but haven't made it there yet; we were thinking that we could get there this week for sure but then Lance reminded me of the time change Saturday evening & I just said s**t & prepared for the worst day on Sunday (luckily we spent the day with family so we were busy all day & B got to play with his cousins all day so he was pretty distracted)!

Yesterday was a way off day; he was up at 5am & then of for the whole rest of the day.  He did manage to stay up until 6:45pm which would have really been 7:45pm the day before but I guess it doesn't work that way because he was up again this morning at 5:15am!  I was & still am confident that I can get him through the day happy, on schedule & to stay up until 8 tonight.

We went to the mall this morning to walk, window shop & then for B to play & keep busy until lunch time & this is what happened on the way home (we only live 5 minutes from the mall).

He was out the second I put him in his car seat; he woke up grumpy but managed to get lunch down & play for a bit before it was time to really nap.  so as it stands he went down for his nap at 11:45 (which is only 15 minutes earlier than usual) & I am crossing my fingers that he sleeps later than the normal of 2.

Wish me luck for tonight!!  I really want him to get a good nights sleep since tomorrow he has to go get tortured..........I mean to the doctor!!

Week 39 & Hoping To Have Good News At the Doctor's Office Today!!

So I am ready & willing to have Brayden anytime he is ready to come; I have my 39 week doctors appointment today & am hoping that something has started happening down there. Last week I had not dilated at all & I know that I am not even 40 weeks yet but PLEASE GOD let me have dilated some....PLEASE!!!

How far along? 39 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 30 lbs. & I think I am done!
Maternity clothes? yep
Stretch marks? none yet
Sleep: no more than 2 hours at a time...then I wake up & can't get back to sleep
Best moment this week: shopping on Sunday with Lance & his mom
Movement: he is a very active little boy
Food cravings: fresh fruit & veggies
Gender: BOY
Labor Signs: braxton hicks all day everyday....& shooting pains in my vagina that feel awesome as well as the occasional cramping
Belly Button in or out? out; as Lance says my popper has popped so doesn't that mean that I am done??
What I miss: my old body
What I am looking forward to: my doctor's appointment today; I really hope that I have progressed
Weekly Wisdom: DON"T EAT PROCESSED FOODS; swelling stinks
Milestones: giving birth is the only milestone I want to talk about at this point!! I am not rushing my baby boy but I am defiantly ready to meet him.

What's Going On With Brayden Lance Goodson This Week:
If you're not in labor at this very moment, you will be soon! And as anxious as you are to meet your little angel, he is just as excited to enter the world. Brayden is now considered full term - its skin is plump, the lungs are mature, the mammary glands and external genital structures are visible. There is some lanugo on the shoulders and back; some of the vernix remains in the folds of the skin, especially around the groin and armpits. There are creases on the soles of the feet. Baby now fills most of the uterus and it moves into the birth position. The head points down toward the birth canal while the arms and legs are pulled close to the chest. Like the newborn, the fetus spends most of its time sleeping but its body rhythms, responses and activity patterns are established. Its intestines are filled with meconium - a sticky greenish black substance that is made up of alimentary gland secretions, lanugo, pigment and cells from the wall of your bowel; this will be passed during baby's bowel movements after its birth. Even at this late stage, your baby is still growing, now to around 7 pounds and 22 inches. All of baby's organs are fully developed, along with toenails, fingernails, and muscles in his arms and legs. At this point, babies can become entangled in their umbilical cords. If this should happen, don't worry. In most cases it's not dangerous.

My Body This Week:
Although your tummy is larger than you could have imagined, you may actually feel more comfortable in your body than you have in a while. That's because your baby has dropped further down into your pelvis, relieving additional pressure. This change has also caused your center of gravity to shift suddenly, so you may lose your balance more easily or have difficulty standing upright, particularly when getting out of a chair. Take extra care of yourself - you have a baby to deliver very soon!

38 Weeks Along......

How far along? 38 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 30 lbs. & hopefully I am done gaining!
Maternity clothes? yep
Stretch marks? none yet
Sleep: no more than 2 hours at a time...then I wake up & can't get back to sleep
Best moment this week: being able to see Brayden's little foot pushing my side; it is the weirdest thing but AMAZINGLY WONDERFUL as well
Movement: he is a very active little boy & I love feeling him
Food cravings: fresh fruit & veggies; where was this craving a few months ago when I was gaining weight??
Gender: BOY
Labor Signs: braxton hicks all day everyday....
Belly Button in or out? out
What I miss: being able to walk outside, go to the lake, or pool without getting as big as a house from water weight
What I am looking forward to: my doctor's appointment today; I really hope that I have progressed
Weekly Wisdom: DON"T EAT SALT; swelling stinks
Milestones: being able to make out Brayden's body parts just by feeling & seeing them move in my belly.


All About Brayden.....
Brayden weighs about 6.5 to 7 pounds and is approximately 19.5 inches in length. You have been full term for a week now, so you might want to start addressing those birth announcement envelopes while you still have your hands free! Your long wait will be over any time now. If you are carrying a boy, have you decided whether or not you will have him circumcised? There is growing debate among parents and health care providers over circumcision but ultimately it is a personal decision for each parent. Brayden spends these last weeks in preparation for the outside world… meaning careful refinement of the blink, suck, inhale and exhale. Meconium, which you’ll probably find in the first diaper, is accumulating in the intestines. In anticipation of meeting you, baby is busy getting ready for the occasion. The fine hair (lanugo), covering her body begins to shed along with the whitish coating on the skin (vernix). Brayden is getting plumper! Brayden may have assumed the head down position by now the position majority of babies are in when their mothers go into labor.

All about me this week......
Although your size is remaining constant, your discomfort might be increasing, as some of the symptoms related to your weight, including heat rashes and difficulty sleeping, might be getting to you. While your due date may be two or more weeks away, pack your labor bag and get ready. Ninety-five percent of all babies are born within two weeks of their due dates.

I have to admit that I am very uncomfortable almost all of the time; I can't seem to get comfortable & if I sit still in my chair at work for more than an hour my legs, ankles (cankles), & feet begin to become twice to three times there size. I hate to complain about anything having to do with our little lovebug but this past week has been really draining & hard on me. I am just hoping that the doctor says that I have made some kind of progress today at my appointment!!

36 Week Doctor Appt....TAKE 2

Sooooo, I had to go back to the doctor today because the lab messed up my Strep B test & I thought that all I would have to do is go back to a room & get the swab done again & be done with it all. That is apparently not how Kaiser works...I had to do the appointment over!! I had to pee in the cup, get on the scale, temp., blood pressure, & then the swab again & while down there she asked if I wanted my cervix checked. Of course I said why not & I am glad that I did; NOT that it is anything to do a back flip over but I am 75% effaced & in -1 station which is a change from yesterdays 40% & -3 station. I am not dilated but feel like I have made some sort of progress & at this point that is good news.......she told me to continue my nightly walks & try swimming as well to help with getting some pain free exercise. When I was leaving today the doctor said "see you next week, if you make it until then", is there something she is not telling me or do they just start saying that at this point in pregnancy?? Anyway, I am happy with the small progress that I have made & just hope that at my 37 week appt. next Monday there is a bit more.

36 Week Doctor Appt.

So yesterday I had my 36 week doctor appt. & there is NOTHING to report. I am not dilated at all so Brayden is still snug as a bug in a rug in there. They just keep telling m that his head is "really" low so to just keep trying to take it easy. what exactly does that mean?? Anyway, I had my Group B Streptococcus swab done yesterday & of course it was no big deal; just a long q-tip test BUT on my way home from work yesterday I get a message from the doctor telling me that she put the q-tip in the wrong specimen tube so I need to come back in today & have the test redone. No, the test doesn't hurt but damn it all to hell.....I have to leave work again, undress again & then get "swabbed" again; BOO!! Anyway, I am hoping that the test comes back negative since I don't want to have to take the medicine NOR do I want to have an IV while in labor. Keep your fingers crossed!!

Doctor Appt. Update...

Lance & I went to the doctor yesterday afternoon at 4:30 to check everything because of the contractions that I was having on Friday & everything is still good. I have not progressed at all & Brayden is a happy little camper in there....WOO HOO!! I got hooked up to the monitors again & Lance got to hear his baby boys heart rate & see just how much Brayden doesn't like things to be on my belly. When they hooked me up Brayden started kicking the monitors; he got himself so worked up in there that he got the hiccups. Lance came over & started to rub my belly & talk to Brayden to try to calm him down & it just brought tears to my eyes; Brayden did calm down at the sound of his daddy's voice, it was amazing. Lance is going to be a wonderful father & although Brayden needs to stay in my belly a while longer we just can't wait to meet him........Brayden is a blessing & we thank god every second of everyday for Brayden!!

We talked to the doctor about why this is happening & what we can do to not have it happen any more, we also told the doctor about the medicine making me really sick & me not taking it past Saturday & she said that, that was just fine & it does make some women really sick but not to worry about taking it anymore. She really didn't seem to concerned if it happened again & she said that she could prescribe something else but would rather me keep my body as drug free as possible (which I really appreciated because I have tried very hard to not take anything through my whole pregnancy); she said that Brayden is fine & if he was born right now that he would be perfectly fine. His lungs do need to develop more yes that is true but since I am not dilating at all she thinks that they will be fully developed by the time he arrives. She was choosing her words very well but she seemed to be saying that he will come early.....only time will tell I guess. Lance & I feel good about the appointment & we know that he will come when he is ready BUT he needs to wait a bit longer. Patience is not one of Lance or I's strong suites so Brayden comes by this naturally but for now we are not going to worry & I am just going to take it easy & try to rest as much as possible; that is not easy for me but I am going to try!!