Interviewing the Pediatrician

Today, I had a prenatal appointment with the pediatrician to interview her and see I think she is the doctor I want for Cote. I had no idea what to expect, and I was so anxious. This was my first real mommy task. There was no one there to hold my hand through it, but I am so glad that I did it!

I showed up, and they were already ready to see me which is a great sign! They had well-waiting and sick-waiting rooms! Another plus! I had a quick tour of the facility and a folder FULL of information. The folder has all kinds of advice and information on every topic I could imagine. (When I was preparing for the meet-and-greet, I googled questions that would be good to ask. Some of the topics were forms of communication, hours that were kept, immunization policies, beliefs on breastfeeding, etc. All of this information was covered in the folder.)

The doctor came in a few minutes later. She was such a sweet heart. She was so easy to relate to and was more than willing to answer my questions. We seemed to have a lot of the same views which is very important. I also really liked something she said. She explained that she believes that parents and pediatricians need to have a working, trust relationship. If she doesn't trust me and that I will follow her advice and be honest with her, or if I don't trust her and that she knows what she is talking about and wont steer me wrong, then we wont be able to work well together. I think she had a great point. Just like any other relationship, this one should also be built on trust.

I'd have to say she is a keeper!! She is also a new mother, so she is going through the same experiences. Another factor that makes her the right choice to me.

Since she does not have rights at the hospital that Cote will be born at, she wants to see her forty-eight hours after we get home from the hospital. Then her next appointment will be at two weeks. Thus begins the excitement of regular doctor visits!!

I cant wait!! ;)

:) Stay Connected

No News is Good News

We had another appointment this morning. I was really excited because I got to have a sonogram, granted they were doing it to make sure my gallbladder was healthy, but I got to see Cote!! She is head down and ready to go! They also measured her leg again. It still measures a little behind. The doc says that either she will just be shorter than average, or my stomach is too small. Either way, it is nothing to be concerned about.

As far as my health, everything is great. My blood test came back normal, and the sono showed no problems! The only sad part is that I still have not dilated at all! Apparently, many young women in their first pregnancy carry to forty-one weeks. Now, it is just a waiting game. It works out well though because I have the time to make sure everything is in order.

Tomorrow I have an appointment to meet the pediatrician!! Hopefully she will be a keeper!!

:) Stay Connected

38 Weeks Today

Today I had my doctor's appointment. No weight gain again which is really nice. Cote's heart beat is strong, but there are some concerns. Due to the fact that I keep getting sick to my stomach when I eat, the doctor ordered a metabolic blood panel to be done. I also have to go in on Tuesday for a sonogram of my liver and gallbladder. Hopefully all is well. If not, there is talk of inducing. If we were to induce now, there is a 50/50 chance that it will lead to a c-section because I am not dilated or effaced at all.

Ideally, I would like to wait for Miss Cote to come on her own, but if necessary, it is sounding like we may have to induce. I am keeping my fingers crossed that there are no problems or complications. Hopefully by Tuesday there will be some progress in my cervix, so if induction is necessary then we can still proceed naturally.

Please keep us in your prayers!

:) Stay Connected

Beautifulist Baby Shower Ever



WOW! Words cannot describe how wonderful my baby shower was yesterday!! I arrived just at they finished setting up, and I was completely in shock. The pictures above are of the room that you see as soon as you walk in the front door! Absolutely Beautiful! Then as you walk into the kitchen, the theme continued! There were beautiful cupcakes and other delicious treats. There was a set of beautiful china tea cups and a pretty pitcher full of a delicious pink drink!! As the decorations continued into the living room, there was an array of baby clothes hanging across the fireplace, pink and green flower arrangements on every corner, and so much more!

Then the party began! Much of my family and close friends showed up to welcome my darling daughter. It was great to socialize and catch up with people I have not seen in awhile!! There were games galore that kept the party going and lively! And there were bunches of great gifts that will all be put to great use by Miss Cote!!

I want to say a special thank you to my mom, Mimi, Dolly, and Kathy for all of the time and effort that they put into the party!! I could not have asked for a better baby shower!! I will cherish those memories forever! I do not know how to express my gratitude but to say Thank You!! and I love you all so so very much!!!

:) Just Stay Connected

3 Weeks Left

We are getting so close to the end, I can hardly stand it!! There are only three weeks till D-Day!! It is so exciting to have come this far. Today we had another doctor's appointment. He said everything seems to be progressing beautifully. My tests are all coming back clean and healthy! My blood pressure is steady! And if we keep progressing this nicely, there should be no risks or complications. (Knock on Wood!!). Since I am too far along to get sonograms anymore, the doctor took a guess at how big she is. He thinks she is probably at about seven pounds and will be born at around seven and half. Not too big and not too small! My little angle is just right!!

Next week he will start checking dialation and effacement to chech the accuracy of her due date. I think she is going to take her sweet time making her debute. The way she moves around, she is not planning to escape anytime soon. I dont think.

I guess we just have to wait and see!!

:) Just Stay Connected

A Quilt for Cote

A special thank you to Chester and Liedy for the beautiful, handmade quilt I received in the mail today! It is so soft and absolutely adorable! It is so special and something Cote can cherish forever!! Thank you!! <3

Made by: Quilting Frenzy

quiltingfrenzy.etsy.com

quiltingfrenzy.com

Aurora Ann Woods - Converse, TX

quiltingfrenzy@sbcglobal.net

(210)659-4635 or (210)250-1740

:) Just Stay Connected

28 Days To Go

Its hard to believe, but there are only twenty-eight days until D-Day! I am so excited to get to meet her, but I hope she takes her time getting here. As far as I know, she is doing just that. Today I had an appointment with the Doctor, but I did not find out anything. AT ALL! I think the Doc may have been called to deliver or something because I saw the nurse practitioner. She didn't share much information with me. I also had my Group B Strep test done and blood drawn. Hopefully all of the results will come back as a clean bill of health.

Beyond that, I do not have much to share. The little one wiggles all day long. She is all over the place. I try to track where her head is according to her hiccups because she gets those so often, but they never occur in the same place. I can already tell this one is going to be a handful! I just know she will be exploding with personality like her mommy!! YAYY!!

I can hardly believe its been eight months. I found out about her on October 11, 2011, and today is May 4, 2012. So much has happened in these recent months. Some of it has been good. Some of it has been bad. All of it has been for the better. I am in such a happy place and ready to be the best mommy I can be.

I will continue to pray for my precious baby and her safe and healthy debut! Until then...

:) Just Stay Connected

***Car Seat Safety***

Last Saturday I took another class at the Baylor of Irving Hospital. It covered car seat safety in detail, and it was wonderful. I strongly believe anyone interacting with a child under the age of 13 should have a working knowledge of child passenger safety. Because I know that a lot of people do not have the time, I want to offer a quick review. I will provide helpful links at the end.

Car Seat Top 10 AAP Guidelines:

Infants: rear-facing

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) reccomends that all infants ride rear-facing starting with their first ride home from the hospial. They should remain rear-facing until they reach the highest weight and hight allowed by their car safety seat's manufacturer. At a minimum, children should ride rear-facing until they have reached at least 1 year of age and weigh at least 20 pounds. [Last year, the reccomendation was actualy changed. Now it is recommended that children remain rear-facing until they are two years old.]

1. Make sure the car safety seat is installed tightly in the vehicle and that the harness fits the child snugly.
2. Never place a rear-facing car safety seat in the front seat of a vehicle that has an active front passenger air bag. If the air bag inflates, it will hit the back of the car safety seat, right where your baby's head is and could cause serious injury or death. [If, heaven forbid, you are in a car accident many companies will pay for you to ship them the damaged carseat. By doing so the company can study the carseat and make improvements.]
3. If your rear-facing seat has more than one set of harness slots, make sure the harnesses are in the slots at or below your baby's shoulders. [And, the chest clip needs to be about even with the infant's armpits. When the child is forward-facing, the harness straps need to begin at or above the child's shoulders, and the chest clip remains at arm pit level. Do not forget to always tighten the harness. You should not be able to pinch your fingers with slack on the shoulder straps.]
4. Be sure you know what kind of seat belts your vehicle has. Some seat belts need locking clips. Locking clips come with all new car safety seats. If you're not sure, check the owner's manuel that came with your vehicle. Locking clips are not needed in most newer vehicles. [If your car's seat belts lock, do not use the locking clip. Only one lock is necessary, or they may both fail. Another way to check if your seat belts lock is to pull the seat belt all the way out. If you hear it begin to click, then it is a locking belt.]
5. If you are using a convertible seat in the rear-facing position, make sure the seat bely is routed through the correct belt path. Check the instructions that came with the car safety seat to be sure.
6. If your vehicle was made after 2002, it may come with the LATCH system, which is used to secure car safety seats. [Although both LATCH and the regular seat belt are good system for installment, there are more instances of the seat belt failing. DO NOT over compensate by using both systems. The two together will fail together.]
7. Make sure the seat is at the correct angle so your infant's head does not flop forward. Many seats have angle indicators or adjusters that can help precent this. If your seat does not have an angle adjuster, tile the car safety seat beck by putting a rolled towel or other firm padding (such as a pool noodle) under the base near the point where the back and bottom of the vehicle seat meet. [Newborns are recommended to be seated at a 45 degree angle. Once the child is old enough to support their own head, 30 degrees is the recommended angle for seating. If your car seat does have an angle indicator (like mine) fold the corner of a piece of printer paper to create a 45 degree angle for measurement.]
8. Be sure the car safety seat in installed tightly. If you can move the seat more than an inch from side to side or front to back, it's not tight enough. [To get a secure fit, use your body weight to sink the base while you tighten the straps. Then let go and readjust. Repeat this process till you cannot tighten it any more.]
9. Do not add any additional padding underneath or behind. Rolled up blackets or cloth diapers are ok to add padding around your infant. Do not add any inserts unless it came with the car seat. [As cute as covers and such are if there is ever a problem with the carseat while the accessories are attached, the warrenty may be voided.]
10. Still having trouble? There may be a certified Child Passenger Safety (CPS) Technician in your area who can help. NHTSA.GOV

Car Seat Progression:

• Newborn/Infant:
• Rear-facing until age two (back seat)
• Infant seat or convertible seat
• When the baby meets the limits of an infant seat (or when the baby's head is one inch from the of the seat), it is time for a new seat.
• Toddler:
• Forward-facing (back seat)
• Convertible seat
• When the child's ears reach the top of the car seat, it is time for a new seat.
• Child:
• Forward-facing (back seat)
• Belt-positioning booster seat
• When the child is 8 years old of 4' 9", the child can seat in the regular seat. It is recommended that seat belt fit be used to determine seat change as well. If the seat belt comes across the child's chest and sits snugly across the hips, it is a proper fit. If the seat belt does not fit properly, the booster seat should still be used.
• 13 year old:
• When a child is thirteen years old they may move to the front seat, but the back seat will always be safer. (Something to consider: Air bags eject at 100 mph. This speed could wound anyone and prove fatal for a growing child.)

Useful Websites:

American Academy of Pediatrics

National SAFE KIDS

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

If you have any more questions or concerns, call your local fire house. They have trained experts who can assist you in installing your car seat and answer any other questions you may have.

:) Just Stay Connected