6 weeks old

It is hard to believe that my baby girl is 6 weeks old already. The good Lord has blessed us with another very good little one. She is a great sleeper, both at nap times (which are a lot) and at night. We still get up 1-2 times per night for feedings. She eats to her belly's content, and then she goes back to sleep pretty easily. I cannot complain. Lauren is adjusting fairly well to being a big sister and sharing the spotlight. We try to include her in everything, and carry on just as we did before to make sure she doesn't feel left out. She is responding better than I would have imagined and is a huge help. All in all, God is outdoing himself!! Enjoy some recent pictures..some from A's 1st weeks and some from our recent family vacay to Pigeon Forge, Tn.

It's almost Liftoff

It's hard to believe that in 44 hours, our little family of 3 will become one of 4 in just a matter of minutes. Alyssa and Mommy have been ready for this to happen for days now, but I guess the good Lord has other plans. So, Friday it is. We are feeling truly blessed and are finishing up those last minute preparations. Stay in touch as God shows up with yet another miracle.
Brandi

The Countdown is on

Praise the Lord. We are officially in countdown mode. Today marks week 38 and our new baby girl is about to make her entrance. This week was a rough one for me. I had high hopes of working up until the day before the birth, but that just did NOT happen. My back and rib pain is preventing that. As you can see in the picture below, Alyssa Claire is going to be a big girl. The weight around my mid-section is putting a big strain on my back. I am beyond ready for her to get here!! If I do not go into labor before the big day, she will be delivered via c-section at Huntsville Hospital for Women and Children next Friday (Aug. 28) at 7:00 a.m. Please pray for my dr. and the medical team that will be assisting. Child birth is always a scary thing, but anytime surgery is a part of it the risks are always greater. I'll try to stay up-to-date as everything unfolds and upload pictures as I find time.

Sleeping Beauty

Baby Update

I haven't posted in a while. Everything is moving very fast with this baby business. The nursery is just about complete, and we are squaring away those last details. I am not working today. I've been in a lot of pain since last week. This past weekend was torture. I believe we are on that final countdown to D-Day. The scheduled c-section is supposed to be Aug. 28th. If she holds out that long, it is going to be a long and miserable wait. I'm calling the dr. as soon as they open this morning to see if they'll move my afternoon appointment up to this morning. I really need answers..not that they will have any. I have a feeling the answer will be to just rest and take it easy. Uggg. If that's the case, I guess I'll be starting maternity leave earlier than expected...without the baby to show for it. She'll be here in her time though. I have to keep telling myself that. I'll update when I have more to share.
Brandi

Baby Update

I went to the dr. yesterday (Monday) for my 33 week appointment. I had been placed on a two-week rotation, as d-day is approaching at warp speed. As far as the big factors are concerned (my blood pressure, baby's heart rate and movement, weight gain, measurement, etc.), everything is as it should be. However, my symptoms have been intensifying with each passing day. Thankfully some days are better than others. I am experiencing a lot of spells of rapid/increased heart rate. During these episodes, I have a very hard time catching my breath. The dr. seems to think that it for one, is not completely uncommon. The baby is so high up right now. I am all of 5'2", so there is not a lot of stretching or spreading out room for the little one. Therefore, she is sitting closer and closer to my lungs. He feels that I might be anemic, which could contribute to some of these problems. I am adding an iron pill to my nightly prenatal regimen. We'll see if that changes anything. Also, I have been having more frequent and intense Braxton-Hicks contractions. If you're familiar, you know that these are not typically painful, but are uncomfortable. I am at the stage for this to happen, but I feel that it is happening too often. He "encouraged" me to increase my water intake. When I say increase, I don't mean a little. He said I should be drinking between 8-10 glasses per day. SHEESH!! In gist, too little fluid can spawn contractions and ultimately lead to early labor. As of now, I do good to drink 2-3 glasses of any fluid on a given day. That one will be tough. But, I'll take one for the team.

Having said all of that, I am now being moved to the once a week rotation. I know it is a few weeks early for that. But, with my pregnancy history and these most recent concerns, he feels that is best to go ahead and watch everything closely. I will see Dr. Wheeler next Monday, and it looks like we might be scheduling the c-section and hopefully getting pre-registered at the hospital. I still feel that they will aim for sometime in the last week of August. At this point, I am sure that the contraction issue will weigh a little more heavily on that decision though. I'll continue to update as everything unfolds. We are super excited and so very thankful that the special day is approaching so quickly.

BTW..I hope this didn't sound all negative. It has actually been a much smoother pregnancy than I had with Lauren..at least once I got passed the sickly first trimester. :)

It's a Growin'

What's a growin'?

33 weeks..and the countdown is on. The dr. is saying that the baby will be taken (c-section) no later than the last week of August. So, if she doesn't try to come earlier, we think we have roughly 5 more weeks.

Alyssa Claire

With all that has consumed the Styles household in the last few weeks, I don't think I ever blogged about the gender of the baby. We had our ultrasound over a month ago. Everything is good with the little one. SHE is still on target to arrive around the end of August. We are so excited about Alyssa Claire joining our family. I think it's great that Lauren is going to have a little sister to play with and look after. She loves tickling her (my belly) and calling her Sissy. I can't wait for them to meet and get to know each other. I will leave you with a couple of new belly shots. Ignore the fat rolls and bulges. Krispie Kreme and Sonic slushes have been good to me lately!!




25 Weeks

Slow to Update

Sorry I am a slow up-dater. The last 6 weeks have been rough for me..us, I guess I should say. My pregnancy symptoms have all presented themselves as fierce enemies..hehehehe! It seems like every possible symptom and every possible side effect of the prenatal vitamins has found me and hung on for dear life. It has been a little difficult around here since Christmas. I in no way want to complain though. God is so faithful, and the sickness is perhaps a good thing. My baby is healthy and life is shaping up as it should.

We did have a slight scare about a week ago. I had very light spotting for a few days. I made a weekend call to the on-call nurse, who absolutely eased my mind. She said it sounded perfectly fine, and it was most likely a relatively common occurrance for over 50% of all pregnancies. To be on the safe side, I went for a second ultrasound on Monday. The little "blueberry" is just perfect at this point. Everything is at it should be, and my stats were in check also. Blueberry you might ask...yes..our little blueberry. While performing the ultrasound, the tech made the comment that the baby is the size of a blueberry right now. Bless it's little heart. The name has stuck. So, I guess until we can come up with something else, Blueberry it is.

Lauren is doing very well with this news. She has reached an age where she is excited about having a little playmate live with us. On several occasions, she has peaked into our spare bedroom and said, "This is the baby's room". She has also made comments about looking at the baby at night from her bed...the two rooms are right across the hall from one another. It is absolutely precious. I feel good that the timing has worked out as it has. Having children 3 1/2 years apart is a good distance, but it is also close enough for bonds to form.

God Bless and have a great weekend.
Brandi

Signs Signs, Everywhere Signs

...not only was this a rock anthem from the 70's, it has also become real to me as of late. All indications of a growing baby are surfacing! Am I showing yet? Not so much, but my lower abdomen is starting to bloat a good bit; hence, my regular clothes are shrinking. Am I nauseated or sick? The best way to answer that is with another question...Am I breathing? For the record, YES! I have been so sick this time around. Am I having cravings? Refer to the previous two questions and make a good educated guess. Is the potty becoming my good personal friend? That is affirmative. I visit all throughout the day and sometimes two or three times per night. That is why I probably got a total of only 4-5 good hours of sleep last night. It's hard to get back to sleep once awakened. Prior to the pregnancy, I was not one to get up once going to bed. We have been blessed in that department. Lauren was sleeping soundly through the night around 2 months old...and, I can probably count on one hand how many times she has gotten up during the night or had a crying spell, etc. that prompted us to get up since then. No joke! I'm not bragging. We are 100% thankful!! So, this is a first for me being up and down since she was a tiny little thing. Hopefully it will subside for a few months once I reach the second trimester. Until then, I'll just have to wait it out and enjoy the ride. Moving right along, Am I having those other unmentionable symptoms? If I am being perfectly honest, I would have to respond with another YES, but it's not so bad. At this point in the game, the nausea and heartburn are the two biggest nuisances. Overall, all is well, and I am counting down each day of a healthy pregnancy. Please continue to pray for a healthy baby and pregnancy. Each new day is a blessing, and we praise God daily for his provisions.