Confidence Restored (35w4d)

So I went by Hali's house on Sunday night to have her check my blood pressure. I'd long suspected that I suffer from severe psychological "white coat syndrome" where I get incredibly nervous about having my blood pressure checked. The reading of 138/104 at Dr. Bourque's last week and the subsequent of 122/90 made me even more suspicious because the difference in those two is pretty significant if we're talking PIH.

And I'm happy to report that my blood pressure is totally, 100%, without a doubt NORMAL. 118/78. And taken again on the other arm: 122/82.

I have my "36w" appointment today and am glad to have this news to cart along with my nervous nelly self. We'll recheck for fluid index again (what I'm doing up at five am -- drinking my water before the appointment) and hopefully we're holding steady.

Naturally, I'm holding out hope that since New Baby's moved positions a bit, s/he's opened up a pocket of fluid to get me off their radar. But perhaps I'm shooting too high. Holding steady is good enough, no?

Keeping fingers crossed ... update to come ...

Fun with the kids (35w1d)

When we go to the library, I usually let the kids each check out four or five books that look interesting to them for night reading. One of them picked up Cook-a-Doodle-Doo! by Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel. We've read books by them before; our favorite being Plaidypus Lost which is catchy and cute and actually pretty funny.

Cook-a-Doodle-Doo! is yet another precious story by the two sisters and the kids and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. At the end there was a recipe for the strawberry shortcake the animals made in the book, so naturally we just had to make one ourselves! I'll let you know how it tastes ...

NST went perfectly well (again). (34w6d)

Everything's fine and dandy. They checked my blood pressure and it was sky high but knowing that I suffer from white coat syndrome, they thankfully checked it again several minutes later and it was fine.

Whew.

Go back on Tuesday for a repeat u/s.

Went to confession after my appointment and it felt really good just to vent my heart's frustrations to Father McGill. He's so precious and gave me some good, sound advice.

Am tired this afternoon and ready for bed already. And it's only 4 pm. What's for dinner, you ask? No earthly idea.

The twins were born on this day of my pregnancy (34w5d)

... and that is just insane to think about! I'm nowhere near ready to bring a baby home. Not that New Baby's making an appearance in the next few days. Next few weeks? Yes. But certainly not the next few days.

Jason took the baby clothes out of the attic yesterday and I started washing them. We looked through them together and "awwwwed" away because baby clothes are just so tiny and cute. The kids thought it cool as well, especially Hayes, to see itty bitty clothes they used to wear.

Last night we had date night with Elisabeth and David. We took them to Ruth's since, well, since it's free (and of course because it's delicious). The company was exceptional too. They are so easy to be around and their love for each other is obvious. I hope that we end up in the hospital delivering on the same day. How cool would that be? We've already decided that Jason and David could sneak out of the hospital together, have a cocktail at Ruth's and then bring us gals dinner back to the hospital. Sounds like a plan to me!

Today I'm getting my hair cut, colored and hi-lighted. A last ritual of sorts. Am booking a pedicure/manicure for next week (or maybe the next?) and getting settled to get going with some birthing.

Have been doing well on the regimen to reduce PIH/Pre-E though it's sometimes hard to eat 100g of protein. That's a lot of protein. But hopefully my blood pressure will be fine on Tuesday and I'll feel confident that it's working. I still have ankles, no headaches, no spots in front of my eyes, so I'm feeling good that everything is just fine. But still.

Mom sent out a prayer request through Theresians yesterday so I once again have women all over the world praying for me. And it feels incredibly peaceful. Hoping his grace descends upon me for Tuesday and I can maintain peace and calmness through my entire being.

NST went perfectly well. (34w4d)

Just as I figured, yet it was still a nice relief (this seems to be a running theme for the week). The nurse mentioned that they were looking for two heart accelerations (not decels) within 20 minutes that were 15 seconds long each. And New Baby pulled out all the stops before falling asleep 10 minutes into the test and gave us four sets of accelerations.

Go back on Thursday for a repeat performance and again on Tuesday for a re-check of fluid. Am trying desperately to relax and take this one day at a time but I'm not doing so well with that, which makes me worry that my blood pressure is going to be sky high very soon. Sigh.

All I want is to be pregnant and growing a life inside of me. Why all the worry and anxiety? And why can't I just go with the flow of what's going on and remain calm? What's preventing me from just letting go and trusting my body to do what it's doing and just simply not allowing all these outward influences to affect me?

My prayer lately has been complete surrender to God and to his will. And I was crying to Mom on Saturday about why I just can't do this and she had the simplest of answers. It's because we, as human beings, aren't able to just surrender. It takes God's grace to do so. So, God? I felt your grace when we found out we were having twins and at their subsequent birth. I've felt your grace surrounding us when we were discerning homeschooling. And your grace has been palpable countless other times in my life. Please, Lord, be with me during this time. Allow me to feel your presence and to trust in your will. Help me let go of the notion that your will needs to match mine and to see that my will needs to match yours because yours is what is best for me. Amen.

One of the top five days in Jason's life. (34w2d)

(Or Day 5 of the Beach)

He smiles every time he talks about this day. It started with a private fishing charter for him, Ryan, Michael, Brandt and Dad. They awoke at 5 am and were on the boat by 6 catching their bait for the day.

They loved their captain and the first mate, Vinny, who took them on a whirl of a fishing trip. They caught several king mackerel and their only regret is that they didn't bring Hayes along because he would have had a blast.

Uncle Harry brought Hayes to the marina to greet them, though, and that was almost good enough.



The day continued with a nap for Jason (I was on the beach, of course) and we left the houses around 3 pm to head to the Hilton Serenity Day Spa for massages that Uncle Harry and Aunt Dru had booked for me, Em, Kendall, Jennifer, Aunt Dru, Jason and Ryan. My massage was divine and I actually had ankles afterward which were nice to see for the first time in almost a week.

After our massages, we got ready in the spa and headed to dinner at Seagar's which is located inside the Hilton. When I tell you that this dinner was incredible ... oh my God, it was absolutely divine.

Firstly, H and Drus had the kids taken care of so we were sans kids. And we were on strict instructions to spare no expense and eat like royalty. And so we did ...

Seafood towers consisting of steamed Alaskan King Crab Legs, Lobster and Shrimp; Crawfish Beignets; the most delicious salads, one of which the dressing was made tableside; bone-in filets cooked to perfection; grouper with a panko crust topped with a lemon and caper beurre blanc (quite possibly the best entree I've ever ordered at a restaurant); and finished with the most amazing banana's foster once again made tableside.

This dinner was insane it was so good. The only thing I regret is not being able to partake in the wine tasting, because we easily ordered over $1,000 in wine. Nonetheless, it was a wonderful treat and we are forever grateful for H and Drus ... two of the most generous people we've ever known.

Caricatures are making progress ... (34w1d)

Closeup of Em and I:



I cannot wait to see the final result!

My favorite Christmas gift springs to life. (34w0d)

Dad and Patti usually give us cash for Christmas, which of course is always welcomed. This year, however, we received something even more spectacular.

They made a donation in each of our names (the kids, but not spouses) to Hospice in Momma Flossie's name. It was a beautiful and profound gift because Hospice was such a gift to us in the last few days of her life.

In turn, though, we each get our faces painted on a wall in La Fonda, a local landmark of a restaurant that's been around since nearly the dawn of time. We grew up eating (and drinking half and halfs -- half margarita, half sangria) there and have had many a hilarious night within the walls of that building. They've had murals of faces painted on the walls for as long as I can remember and they've just recently decided to add more.

And so without further ado, here's the beginning of Dad, Patti, Emily, Me, and above us, Michael and Ryan. It's going to be fun watching this come to life.

Ding, Dong the Wicked Witch is Dead! (33w6d)

I referenced what I'm about to talk about here.

And here's my recap from the day in question (June 12th). Bold is mine for reasons pertaining to previous entry:

Yesterday was cleaning day. We're minding our own business, praise and worship music is playing over the stereo system (not of utter importance, but you'll understand why I mention it in a moment), Jason's mopping the living room and I'm vacuuming the back of the house and the kids are playing "go fish" together in the playroom. Life is good, you know? I've been on a major purging of the house in the past couple of weeks and now I'm pretty much performing maintenance on what's left. Regular ole cleaning after I'd gotten a well deserved facial earlier in the morning.

Jason comes in the back and says, "CPS is here."

Say whaaaaa?

I enter the living room not knowing at all what to expect and let the social worker introduce herself. Her name's Carmen and she needs to speak with us because they're launching an investigation. But she needs to speak with us separately. Is that okay?

Uhmmm, I guess?

I go first. Usher the kids back into the playroom and explain that I'll come and get them in a minute. Jason heads outside to light the pit because we're having company over for dinner and we need to get started grilling the ribs we've prepared.

She covers the basics. Asks our names, kids' names, ages, about our jobs, etc. I'm a SAHM, "so you're here all day with the kids?". Yes, for the most part. "Do they play outside?" Uhm, yes, of course they do?

"Well, Mrs. Perkins, that's why I'm here."

"You're here because my kids play outside?"

"Yes."

"Is this a joke?" (I actually said this).

"No, it's not."

She goes through the complaint. The caller says they haven't seen Jason or I outside in over a year. (WHAT? My gardens don't plant, water or weed themselves, first off.) The kids play unsupervised all day long. (I'm sorry, again, WHAT? Yeah, they're in and out of the house all day but I know where they are. I'm out there with them, but sometimes not, though I'm always within earshot, like say in the kitchen cooking?) The youngest is about two years old and they started playing outside about six months ago, making the "baby" 18-months. (I'm sorry, but the twins are now almost four-and-a-half). There's occasionally a pregnant teenager who is outside with them. (I think this is a compliment, but I'm not sure). They don't play in the road, but ride their bikes on the sidewalk. In fact, they were outside at 7:50 this morning. (The horror!)

I'd love to say that I maintained my cool and calmly explained that this caller is on crack. Alas, I was stuck on the fact that child protection services was inside my house and launching an investigation and it seemed that all I could do was cry and keep saying, "I'm so confused". And answer her questions, of course, but logic and reasoning was not on my side at the moment.

Carmen explains that our kids are too young to play outside without constant supervision. That if anything were to happen we could lose custody of our children. Okay, so in the front yard they need to be supervised. Gotcha. "No, Mrs. Perkins, in the back yard as well." (Our back yard is fenced. No pool. Just roses and a swingset.)

Say whaaaa?

Luckily, I managed not to get hysterical and was enough sound mind to realize she probably had to say these things, but I did manage to ask her if my kids were too young, then what would be considered an appropriate age?

Oh, they don't really have one. It depends on each child (makes sense). But six and four-and-a-half are too young (doesn't make sense at all. I mean if it depends on each child, shouldn't it be UP TO THE PARENTS?). Okay. Whatever. I need to get up off this couch before I throw up.

She interviews the kids one by one. I felt completely uncomfortable with this notion but was thinking that if I didn't comply, then what? I could hear the basics of what she was asking (what are your favorite chores, do you play outside, are there any rules you have to follow, etc.) and Hayes was doing wonderfully (making my bed, yes, oh yes! we can't go past the sidewalk and we have to wear our helmets when riding our bikes or scooters) so I started to relax once I realized she wasn't going to be leading them even though the chores part made me freak initially.

She talks to Jason. She asks us if we have any questions. I'm sure I do, but there's no way I could possibly string more than two words together at this point. She gives me her card and tells me I can call her if I need. She leaves.

We sit here for several minutes just shaking our heads and wondering what on earth just happened.

I had the absolute worst night sleep last night that I've had in my entire life. I sobbed on and off the whole night not because I thought there was any validity to the claim (I mean, I'm not the pregnant babysitter) but because mothering is the one area in my life where I'd like to think I'm actually pretty good. And having CPS show up at your door most certainly isn't an affirmation of that.

Today my head was a little more clear, though foggy from lack of sleep and I knew that I had to talk with the social worker again before the weekend. I just couldn't wrap my brain around such a claim. How could this person, whoever they are -- obviously not a direct neighbor as we know all of them and they'd certainly not mistake me for a babysitter -- not be able to describe us? How could it possibly be that they would mistake an almost four-and-a-half-year-old for a two-year-old? And how could they possibly see the kids playing outside "unsupervised" enough times to warrant a call to CPS? Do they not realize that CPS is obligated to launch an investigation? Do they not realize the seriousness of the claim they are making? I mean, it would be one thing if, say, my kids were playing in the road or doing things that could be seen as dangerous. But riding their bikes up and down the sidewalk between our driveway and the neighbor's with helmets on?

So anyway. I called her just to talk. Apologized for taking up her time but that I feel like I didn't process anything she told us yesterday and just had some questions. She was very nice and said she'd been anticipating my call. Apparently I was that obvious yesterday and she mentioned that it was pretty apparent that I'd never been investigated before. It took everything I had to not say, "Never been investigated? Lady, I don't even know anyone who's been investigated by CPS."

On that note, I'm sure she had to think twice when she walked inside. The house is utterly spotless. It's never looked better, actually. The kids are pleasantly playing "go fish" together in the playroom (they could have just as easily been dangling from the Bradford pear branches out front -- their new favorite pastime and thank God they weren't). Jason and I are cleaning. And jamming to Christian rock. The situation couldn't have looked better to CPS than if we'd been in a prayer circle holding hands.

So anyway, onto my conversation with her ... I saw on the DSS website last night that claims are rendered either valid or invalid. Does improper information (the ages of one of the twins -- probably MB because she's smaller than Sam -- and myself being misidentified) warrant the claim automatically invalid? (Because in my head, it should). She says that she can't see any reason this claim won't be filed as invalid. Mentions that she's been doing this for a long time and you can pretty much tell upon entering a house if something is amiss. And if something isn't. And that Jason and I are obviously caring parents who aren't at all guilty of abuse or neglect.

Big sigh of relief. HUGE SIGH OF RELIEF.

So if this claim is found invalid, do we have some sort of permanent record? No. It's not unlike being wrongfully accused of something. There's still a file out there that it happened, but it's not hanging out there waiting to be used if, God forbid, we'd ever be investigated again.

Even bigger sigh.

Is the reporter of this kept updated? And if not, can we request they be? (Because I'll be damned if this is going to happen again. Nosy Nelly Neighboorhood Watchman needs to know the facts of the situation.) They're not normally, but the SW said she'd be happy to call them and inform them.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

I drank about 3 oz of wine and took a four hour nap (Jason was watching the kids) and feel immensely better about the situation. I'll feel even better once I have the letter from the state in my hands stating that the case is closed and findings were invalid.

Never, ever, in my life have I heard of anything like this happening to anyone. I mean, CPS gets called and you're a shitty parent, you know? Perhaps I need not be so quick to judge. And honestly, I'm glad there are people out there that care enough about the welfare of other people's children. But I'd like to imagine that if I were to call CPS on someone, I'd make damned sure I had enough facts in the situation before making the call.

So I spoke with Carmen yesterday who said the CASE IS CLOSED AND FOUND INVALID! We totally knew they would be, but it's entirely different to know it for sure. I feel as if an enormous weight I didn't even realize I was carrying has been lifted off my shoulders.

Of course, I still wish it had never happened, but above all I know there is a lesson in it. There always is ... it's the way life works. And we either choose to learn the lesson or we'll be dealt it again in another form until we do. Sometimes the problem is figuring out what exactly that lesson is. (Or perhaps lessons -- who couldn't do with a double-doozie from time to time?)

One of the lessons I'm certain of is that there really is an existence of evil that needs to be recognized for what it is. This was confirmed for me when I read Charlie's blog entry about similar feelings and how Satan was preying on their weaknesses. Of course, I'm not comparing a simple visit from Child Protection Services and the illness and subsequent death of a precious child, so please don't get me wrong. Just the idea that there is evil all around us and only once we recognize it can we place it where it belongs.

My friend, Chelette, calls this "damning the devil back to hell" and the first time she told me about it I was really, really skeptical. I just couldn't believe she would speak words like, "Satan, go back to hell" outloud. But she swore by it at that moment and explained that he can't hear our thoughts, only our words, so it's important to say it outloud.

And I can't say that I disagree with her. As soon as my mom mentioned to me during the days following the investigation that there's an evil we need to be aware of, I knew exactly what she was saying. And as soon as I recognized what (and who) was at work, preying on the area of my life I am the most proud of, it allowed me to maintain a calm and a perspective about the situation that I certainly didn't feel beforehand.

This calm (and trust in God) also allowed me to go several weeks without calling Carmen. And when I spoke with her yesterday, she'd only closed the case at the end of last week. So calling before that would have only made me sick with worry that they were continuing to investigate.

But now ... case closed. Let's just hope the lesson(s) is learned.

Feeling deflated (33w5d)

Fluid was still low at repeat scan yesterday and I was quite bummed. Am trying desperately to find the balance between controlling the situation and sitting back and trusting that God has a plan for me and just going with the flow.

Kids have dentist appointments today tomorrow* and am planning on heading to the health food store while they're there with Jason to pick up some evening primrose oil (might as well get the cervix softened up for delivery if it needs to happen early), possibly some nat mur and something for blood pressure (magnesium, maybe? I can't remember.)

Nonetheless, I go back on Monday and Thursday for non-stress tests and again the following Tuesday for my 36-week appointment and re-check of the fluid.

Hoping we can just maintain the same level and that New Baby continues to thrive within my womb!

*Originally thought appointments were today. They're tomorrow. But headed out to Sandra's and Drug Emporium anyway because I needed to get out of the house. Had minor freakout on Jason this morning. He just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time asking me "what's wrong?" Poor guy.

Our first day at the beach (33w3d)

Or how playing Cranium with the Marine family can give you enough to talk about for several days.

We arrived in Destin on Saturday. I was so proud of Jason and I ... we'd aimed to get on the road at 5 am and were only running 10 minutes late. (It really should qualify us for some sort of award or something.) Saturday night was going to be the only night the entire family (well, those who were going) would be there so we wanted to get there with plenty of time to visit. And that we did.

We arrived around 2 pm and were able to check in to the back house (front house wasn't ready yet) so we could unload all our luggage and groceries. We did this rather efficiently and then quickly changed into our swimsuits and plopped our behinds in beach chairs for the remainder of the afternoon. We were scheduled to take family pictures that night on the beach so we all headed back up to shower and I to also get dinner started. I'd prepped crawfish fettuccine and homemade dinner rolls on Friday and all they had to do was bake. Recipe to follow.

The pictures and dinner went off without a hitch. There were hilarious moments during the picture taking. One of which could have ended up not so funny had Sam actually been smooshed by this woman, but the photographer's assistant tripped over Sam and fell face first into the sand. I would have felt bad if it had been Sam's fault, but the lady wasn't watching where she was going so the sand on her face made us giggle a little. The other was when the photographer suggested that we all walk hand-in-hand toward the water so she could take a picture of us from behind. And to make matters worse, when she counted to three, we were to all turn around and start jumping up and down and cheering. The proofs on those sent us into more fits of giggles when we got to see them on Monday.

We ate our delicious dinner and I received a ton of compliments on its bubbly goodness. One of my favorite things to do in life is feed people so when I do it well, it gives me the warm fuzzies. It was a good start to our family vacation.

And then Cranium was broken out. *Sigh*

I'd played this game on a couple of occasions with my brother, Ryan, who might be the most competitive person in the universe. Worse still, he also cheats. He's the type of person whose motto is "if you ain't cheatin', you ain't tryin'" which can be absolutely infuriating to a person who merely is coming back to the Monopoly game from a quick run to the restroom to the suspicion that half their bank and a few houses and/or hotels are missing. Ryan can't seem to help himself. It's in his blood to win and I fear his head might implode on the occasions that he is behind in a game. In simpler terms: it ain't pretty. (But those of use who love and adore him have come to accept this ingrained character flaw, even though it gets to us on occasion.)

Now, I'd warned my team (Aunt Dru & Uncle H, Aunt Dani, Kendall, Brian, Lauren, Brandt, Jason & I -- Ryan decided it was the "Marines" against the rest of us; like getting married removes us from the Marine fold or something) about this penchant for cheating and I swear some of them almost didn't believe me until they saw the hysteria with their own eyes. Unfortunately, I can't recap the situation from a first-hand perspective because I'd gone back to the back house to put the kids to sleep and get some rest myself. But I was laying on the couch when Jason walked in and I excitedly asked him who won the game (we were nearing the end and our team was winning slightly so Ryan's head was starting to spin when I left) and he explained that it wasn't quite over yet. When I asked him what happened, all he needed to say was, "Your brother" and I just knew.

The next morning we got the full report. And needless to say, it had degenerated into a variety of embarrassing yet hilarious family moments like Emily getting in Ryan and Michael's (I was a bit shocked at the report of Michael's behavior, I have to admit) faces yelling "f*** you"s, Jen telling Ryan "not tonight" when he retorted that he gets off on it after she'd called him a prick, and other moments that left the Patins and the Etiers in utter disbelief.

The good news is that it gave us something to talk about for three days and there were no bitter feelings at all. Laughter at each other and at ourselves. Which I suppose is what makes this family so unique and special. That wild ability to fight like feral cats and come back the next day and snuggle up like kittens. We do truly love each other, that's for sure.

More to come on the remainder of the week ...

But first, the recipes:

Shrimp or Crawfish Fettuccine

½ cup margarine
1 large white onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
1 T all-purpose flour
½ T dried parsley
1 lb. shrimp or crawfish
5 oz. half and half
3 oz cream cheese, cubed
3 oz American cheese, cubed
3 oz Velveeta, cubed
3 T salsa
4 oz can of mushrooms with juice
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 package Fettuccine noodles, cooked al dente
Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Romano cheese, freshly grated
Mozzarella cheese, freshly grated

Melt margarine in large pot, then add onion and bell pepper. Cook for 15 minutes covered, stirring often. Stir in flour – cook 15 minutes, stirring often. Add parsley, shrimp or crawfish, half and half, cheeses, salsa, garlic and mushrooms. Cook for 30 minutes, covered over low heat, stirring occasionally. Mix pasta and mixture into a glass baking pan. Sprinkle with grated cheeses and cover with wrap. Bake at 350 degrees until hot and bubbly.

May freeze entire casserole. To reheat, use 200 degree slow oven until hot.

Dinner Rolls

1 cup warm water (105ºF to 115ºF)
2 packages active dry yeast (not quick-rising)
1 stick butter, melted
½ cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp salt
4-4 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Combine the warm water and yeast in a large bowl. Let the mixture stand until yeast is foamy, about 5 minutes.

Stir in butter, sugar, eggs and salt. Beat in flour, 1 cup at a time, until dough is too stiff to mix. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours or up to 4 days.

Grease a 13x9” glass baking pan. Turn chilled dough out onto a lightly floured board. Divide dough into 24 equal-size pieces. Roll each into a smooth round ball; place balls in even rows in the prepared pan. Cover and let dough balls rise until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Bake until rolls are golden brown, 15-20 minutes. Brush warm rolls with melted butter.

If you're lucky enough to be at the beach, you're lucky enough. (33w2d)

That was a little hand-painted sign one of the amazing beach houses we stayed in this past week. And it couldn't have been more true.

The week was fabulous. The kids had a blast. Jason and I had a blast. The entire family had an absolute blast. We laughed hysterically, went through several cases of wine (not me, of course), ate like royalty and generally just enjoyed life.

We had perfect weather, the Gulf was pretty much clear of seaweed and jellyfish and I feel pretty confident that my amniotic fluid level has gone up. I upped my water intake to at least a gallon a day and added an additional 32-40 oz. of gatorade on top of that. I also floated in the water for several hours collectively over the course of the week. The baby's movements are much more fluid and much less uncomfortable (one of the signs of low fluid, I've learned). So we'll know on Tuesday if my cocktail worked!

More to come on the beach (and pics of course) because it really was an unbelievable trip. But today I'm confined to self-inflicted bedrest so that I can continue to increase my fluid level so I'm off the computer ...

32w appointment was somewhat of a drag. (31w5d)

Yesterday was our big 32-week appointment, complete with bio-physical profile (BPP). I had a feeling Leslie (u/s tech) was going to find something just because that's how she is. Though I was fully expecting that something to be a breech baby because of the bizarro movements I've been feeling.

Turns out that New Baby's not breech (yay!) but s/he is FOLDED IN HALF! We could not stop laughing at the images because the feet over the head were hysterical. Not to mention the gnawing of the umbilical cord.

The drag part was that I have low amniotic fluid. So I'll be rechecked at my next appointment. I'll be drinking a ton of water and resting as much as possible (get off the computer, Megan, it's 10:15 pm) while we're at the beach next week. Hopefully all will be well at the follow-up.

Proofs Finalized! (31w5d)

And the morphing phase is complete. Ali loved the design so I just added a little outlining to the halo to make it stand out a bit more. She's coming by tomorrow to pick up the first batch.



Missy's birth announcements came out precious and I'm just awaiting their arrival at my front door so I can deliver them to her. Hopefully they'll be here before we leave.

Test results are in ... (31w4d)

And we're without a diagnosis!

There were not enough of the allergens present to make an allergy diagnosis like we all thought. And the pH probe came back with somewhat-higher-than-normal results (so, reflux), but we've opted to not treat with medication at this point as her reflux seems to be fine. It's the vomiting we're mostly concerned about. The good news is that the doctor isn't too concerned because we've ruled out "all the sinister things" (her words) and the episodes are only happening once a month or so. She did say that if it increases to about once a week that we need to see her again.

Jason and I are both glad we went through with the tests ... otherwise we'd always worry that something bigger was wrong. But at this point we're not really sure what we're going to do. We might experiment with some diet modifications/eliminations, but other than that there's really no more testing to be done.

The best case scenario would be that she'd just stop throwing up! So prayers for that would be great. Or any suggestions otherwise.