here we go again.....

Time to pee in a jug again!

I had my first doctors appointment yesterday. No earth shattering news or developments. There's one baby in there, and it's measuring exactly to the day. He put me on a prescription prenatal vitamin that has a special "already-broken-down-ready-for-your-body-to-use" form of folic acid in it, said it might help stave off preeclampsia. I did come across something about that in my research, but I also came across something that says it doesn't work, but what the hell, it can't hurt.

I am doing a 24 hr urine collection to establish a protein baseline, because protein in the urine is a diagnostic symptom of preeclampsia, they want to see what my "normal" is.

I will be taking my jug o' pee to the lab in Alpine, but as I was leaving the docs in Odessa I realized that if I left Odessa without an empty jug I would have to drive to Alpine to get one, and then turn around and go back the next day with a full one. So I went to the lab at the Odessa hospital, told them I needed to do a 24 hr collection and needed the empty containers. I omitted the fact that I would not be returning them there. I figured that after all the money they got from our insurance for Sara, they could let me have a couple plastic bottles. And if they are reading this they can charge me for 'em (they are probably 53.28 each :) )

Next month I will be seeing the high risk pregnancy doc; perinatal doctor, maternal-fetal-medicine specialist, call him what you want. I call him Dr. Blanco. As my OB likes to say, Blanco is the brains behind it all. He interprets the lab results, and makes the tough calls on what to do and when to deliver. So the ball will be in his court as to how we're going to monitor my pregnancy, how frequently we'll do blood and urine tests, etc.

What I want is to have at least weekly tests done later on, and maybe even twice a week. Last time around I felt fine the entire time. I never experienced any physical pain or symptoms from the PE or HELLP, but silently my liver was starting to fail, that is why I will be demanding frequent frequent frequent monitoring.

I also asked the OB yesterday what his thoughts on a VBAC (vaginal birth after caesarean) were in the even of an uneventful PE-less pregnancy. He pretty much crapped all over the idea. Said they have been seeing "lots" of uterine ruptures, bad results for baby and mom. I guess I was pretty much expecting that. The thing is I don't really believe that it's all that bad. Sure those things can happen, I just don't really think they happen all that often. It's just so damn hard to find fair and unbiased statistics. Getting info on it from the VBAC organization is slightly skewed in favor of them. Asking a surgical doctor is slightly skewed against them. I read different things in every source I go to. It's not like I am asking to do a home birth with a magical medical shaman sprinkling fertility powder over the scar while I go through labor. I would attempt it in a hospital equipped to do a c-section if it was needed. What it all boils down to is how I feel combined with the support I receive from my doctor and spouse. If I don't have support from either of them (which I don't) then what can I do. In the end I have decided it is a battle that I choose not to fight. And in all reality given the geographical challenges that face us, i.e arranging for Sara care and getting to a hospital in the event of natural labor, a scheduled c-section would honestly be the easiest.

Anyway, it was a long day to Odessa and back yesterday, left at 5am and got home at 9pm. Sara had her 18 month appt too yesterday. She's still only in the 5th percentile weight wise, which is pretty much where she has always been. She's my little peanut. But her head is somewhere between the 50-75th percentile. She gets her gigantor head from her mom.


Here's a couple pictures, enjoy.


P.S
a note to my mom and Cheryl:
you will be glad to know that the DISGUSTING toilet situation in the Ft Stockton Burger King bathroom has been resolved!


Sara is reading a book to Oscar. He looks really interested doesn't he?


Our bountiful mulch-less grass infested vegetable garden area. In the very forefront is my beautiful bushy mint plant that I planted so I could have mint on hand to make Mojitos with this summer. Looks like that will not happen.


This is the tomato that we are waiting on. Get red, get red, get red....
I worry that Iffy will get a job and we will move away before our tomatoes are all ready. That would be sad.