Oh, what fun we've had....

and yes, the title is heavy on the sarcasm. McKynlee is determined to give mommy and daddy grey hair before she even gets here. She's already a handful, and we still have about 6 and a half weeks to go. If we make it that far.

I've been in Labor & Delivery Triage 3 times in the last 2 weeks. The first was because I got overheated and dehydrated. Baby girl was perfect. Mommy was sick. A few IV bags of fluids, and I was sent on my way home to rest.
The second time was yesterday. We went to our doctor for one of our twice a week check-ups. They did an ultrasound, in which they do a biophysical profile. Baby girl has been scoring 8/8 on them. Yesterday? A 2/8. She wouldn't move. Wasn't practicing her breathing. The 2 points were given because the amniotic fluid was good. So, we were sent next door to the hospital for additional monitoring. We were there for a few hours. Hooked up to fetal monitors. Her heartrate was great. They did another ultrasound, checked her BPP. The tech literally had to stand over me and shake my belly....and I guzzled some ice water. But it woke her up, she started moving, and we were discharged.
Third time was today. She was fairly active around 7 am. Around 11, I realized it had been a little while since I'd felt any movement. Typically, one should feel about 10 kicks every 2 hours. I drank a little juice, ate a little cereal, and laid on my left side for a little while. By 12:30, I'd only felt 3 soft thumps. I called my on-call nurse, who recommended I go into L&D to be monitored. Especially since she only had a 2/8 just yesterday. So by 1 pm, I was in L&D. Hooked up to monitors. Again, her heartrate was good, but there was no evidence of movement. They ordered an ultrasound, brought me some ice water to try to wake her up, and told me to relax. Easier said than done. The on-call doctor came in shortly after to go over my chart with me, and ask questions that she had. She's not our normal doctor, but WE LOVED HER! She was so nice, didn't dismiss any of our concerns, and really did her best to put us at ease. A little while later, ultrasound came in to do their part. A typical BPP scan will last for 30 minutes, unless they find that everything is great sooner. Her heartrate was good. About 3o seconds into the scan, she started practicing her breathing. So far, so good. But, she wasn't moving. At 29:45, the little stinker finally moved enough that they were more than satisfied. Even the tech was like, "are you freaking kidding me?!?!" So, they reviewed the scan. And the on-call doctor called Phoenix Perinatal (high-risk specialists who've been conducting my Level 2 scans) to get their opinion. Shortly after, they were discharged. Her scans were perfect, so they saw no reason to keep me. Which we understand, but its frustrating. This corioangioma on the placenta can put her in distress at any moment. So when she goes periods of time with no movement, we worry. And the doctors insist we go back in for monitoring. We have an appointment with PPA next week. They're scheduling us for a consult as well. They may end up taking over my care for the duration of the pregnancy. We'll see. So for now, I continue what I've been doing. Try to take it a little easier from here on out. I can continue to work, unless the doctor at PPA says otherwise next week.

In other, better news....my shower is a week away. I can't wait! Its going to be fun to see all the family and friends again. :) And our due date is only about 6 weeks away. Which is SO CLOSE....yet still so far away. We're so anxious and excited to meet our baby girl! :)

31 Weeks

We had another Level 2 ultrasound this week. McKynlee's kidneys look fine, which is great news! The mass is larger. Almost 6 cm now....4 cm larger than 8-9 weeks ago. So at this point, we begin weekly ultrasounds to monitor its growth. Doctor said we may even need to bump it up to twice weekly ultrasounds. If the mass were to get too large, it could begin to put strain on her heart. Hence, the need for closer monitoring. It grows as she grows. The delivery plans are still if-y. Right now, she weighs about 4 lbs, 8 oz. We'll see what happens in the coming weeks, and then we'll decide on traditional delivery vs. c-section.

Pregnancy Highlights

How far along: 31 weeks, 3 days

Total Weight loss/gain: I have lost count! I have gained weight back, but I'm still below the 10 lbs doctor initially told me to lose. So, we consider it weight loss :)

Maternity clothes: I have one pair of jeans that still slip off me. I'm constantly hiking them up. I can still fit into my pre-maternity jeans, though they're slowly becoming more uncomfortable. My pre-maternity tops still fit just fine. My work shirts are just now becoming a little too short, as the belly starts to protrude more. :p

Best moment this week: She's been SUPER active the past 24 hours. I don't know if she's stopped for more than 5 minutes at a time. I love all her kicks, pokes, and somersaults. Though some of them are becoming slightly painful as she gets stronger and is getting more cramped in her space. :p

Movement: Again, she's BEYOND active!

Food craving: This week, I've been craving mexican food. Nachos, tacos, burritos....whatever! I'm not picky! Although I am trying to ignore said cravings and choose healthier choices to keep the gestational diabetes in check.

What I miss: decent sleep! The past week has become increasingly difficult to get a good nights rest. Between her midnight dance parties, aching hips and back, leg cramps, bathroom dashes....I'm up every few hours.

Sleep: see "what I miss"

What I'm looking forward to: McKynlee making her debut sometime in the next 9 weeks! We are so ready to welcome her into the world! Clint becomes more and more impatient by the day.

Belly Button: Still an innie. Although, its becoming more and more stretched as she gets bigger.

Symptoms: Braxton Hicks have made an appearance. I've had cramping as well, but doctor says its completely normal. Lack of sleep and energy. Achy hips, legs, back. Sciatic nerve pain. I've adopted a slight waddle in my walk :p Nausea is also starting to show again. I went about a month with none whatsoever...it was so nice!!!

I swore I was going to be better....

but I lied.

Just a quick check in tonight....Mommy, Daddy, and Baby are doing great. Mommy is miserably hot. Daddy has joined a gym. Baby thinks its great fun to play punching bag with Mommy's bladder. And sciatic nerve. And even the rib cage, the other day. Only about 10 weeks to go!

We had a check-up last week, where the doctor decided I am officially Gestational Diabetic.

Dang it.


SO Mommy is watching her carbs and sugars....and testing her blood sugars 4 times a day. YAY!!!....not. But so far, I'm controlling it with diet, so no need for any medications. Which is very, very good. :) We have another ultrasound on the 14th of June. We'll see about how much she's weighing. If she gets to 9 pounds, Dr says we'll do a c-section. Sooo....maybe I could have her early? We'll see. I'm ok with that. I'd rather have a c-section then try to give birth to a toddler. The McLaws' are not known for their small babies with tiny heads. But even with enlarged kidneys, a placenta mass and diabetes....the pregnancy has been fairly routine, and baby is super active, which doctors say is a great sign.

I'm off to bed. Volunteering at work tomorrow for our Childrens Miracle Network Carnival. Come by the store and see us! All proceeds benefit Phoenix Childrens' Hospital Childrens Miracle Network :) I'm doing a photo booth... :)

26 Weeks

This week we had another ultrasound to check out McKynlee's kidneys and the "mass" on my placenta. The tech was able to get a 3D image of her sweet face. Isn't she precious?? We like to think so. :) Her kidneys were not nearly as large as they have been the last 2 ultrasounds!! YAY! While they're still just slightly abnormal, its an improvement, and we're so happy to see that! We have another level 2 ultrasound next month. Hopefully, we'll see more improvement then! The "mass" on the placenta IS larger, but its in proportion to the growth of the placenta, so my doctor thinks everything is just fine. They're estimating her weight to be at 2 lbs 4 oz. She's actually about a week ahead of schedule, but its not enough so that they'll change my due date.

Pregnancy Highlights

How far along: 26 weeks 3 days

Total weight loss/gain: Holding steady. Nothing lost, but nothing gained

Maternity clothes: Still just in my one pair of jeans. I have a hard time spending $50 on a pair of jeans, so I've been shopping ebay. Nothing much out there this week. The pair that I DO have, is a little big still. I'm constantly pulling them up.

Best moment this week: Seeing her sweet face! Clint thinks she looks just like me. His mom sees a good mix of the both of us. What do you think??

Movement: Still a wiggle-worm!!

Food craving: I wanted a coke SO badly yesterday!!!! I got a raspberry lemonade instead.

What I miss: going a day without a headache. they've been brutal lately.

Sleep: haven't been sleeping to well the past week. I've been off the last 2 days, and I spent a lot of it sleeping. I'm a lazy bum.

What I'm looking forward to: the next 3 months passing very quickly!! Its getting unbearably hot.

Belly button: Still an innie!

Symptoms: Very sleepy. Headaches. (some) nausea. Heartburn like nobody's business lol.

25 Weeks....just kind of a slacker :p

The Bump at 25 Weeks Pregnant :)

So, I must apologize for being such a slacker. I really have no excuse for it. Just too lazy LOL. We did have a Level 2 Ultrasound a few weeks ago. McKynlee's kidneys are enlarged. There's no extreme concern right now. They're monitoring it with monthly ultrasounds. If there were to be a problem, it would be after she's born. Its fixable, surgically. We're hoping it fixes itself in utero. Obviously, we don't want our little girl to have surgery right after birth. So we pray for the issue to clear itself up. The concern level of the doctors is a 1, on a scale of 0-10. There is also a mass (for complete lack of a better term) on my placenta. The doctor believes it is just blood vessels. It only has one main blood supply, so the doctor doesn't anticipate it growing larger. IF it were, it could cause strain on her heart. That could mean they potentially take her early, IF that ends up being the case. She's super active though, and the doctor says that active babies are healthy children. We're confident she'll be just fine. :)






Pregnancy Highlights





How Far Along: 25 weeks, 2 days


Total Weight Loss/Gain: Still in the negative! I haven't gained anything. Awesome!


Maternity Clothes: I have one pair of maternity jeans that I bought on ebay for 8.99! Yay for good deals! I wore them out the other night, and they're actually still a little too big. I kept pulling them up.


Best Moment this week: Finishing up our registries! Thank goodness that's done! Its a daunting task.


Movement: Lil' Miss McKynlee thinks she's the next David Beckham. She's one active little bean! Constantly kicking and moving! She likes to kick mommy's bladder. She likes to kick mommy's sciatic nerve. She's a stinker <3


Food Craving: Salad! I've been eating salads like they're going out of style. Had a craving last week for nachos. And they were wonderful! :p


What I Miss: Waking up and not being nauseated. I was on a good run, but its slowly creeping back. I was warned by several pregnant friends that it might happen.


Sleep: It is MUCH improved since we acquired a new(er) mattress from a family friend. It is in MUCH better condition than the one we'd been sleeping on. I've noticed that my quality of sleep is greatly improved. :)

What I'm looking forward to: The belly getting bigger. I actually have a bump now!!! I'm sure when it does get bigger, I'll be wishing I was small again LOL. The summer is going to be long and hot.


Belly Button: Still in. BUT I've had some pulling sensations and itching in the area. I think some of it is from the scar tissue left over from surgery last year. They cut into my belly button and fed the camera through in order to do the operation.


Symptoms: Nausea. Super active baby girl. Heartburn. Fatigue.

21 Weeks

Pregnancy Highlights

How far along: 21 Weeks 1 day

Total weight loss/gain: down 2 pounds from where I was at last week

Maternity clothes: Nothing yet. LOL. I don't know if I'll EVER be in maternity clothes, at this point :p

Best moment this week: Somebody asked me how far along I am! Hooray!!! :p LOL I was beginning to think people were thinking I've been making it all up :p

Gender: Still a girl :p

Movement: McKynlee is VERY active!!! She just kicked me so hard that I jumped. It completely startled me. But it is the absolute coolest feeling. I absolutely love it!

Food craving: Nothing this week.

What I miss: Being able to walk 5 feet without sciatic nerve pain. My sweet little girl just LOVES that nerve! :p

Sleep: Been sleeping fairly well. What I'm looking forward to: Still looking forward to the belly popping out :)

Belly Button: Still an innie!

Symptoms: Lots and lots of movement from baby. Nausea is still present, though it is easing up (FINALLY!).

McKynlee Ann

We think she has my nose :)