Happy New Year to everyone.

How does a "Mother and Father to be" spend their New Year's Eve? With an Auburn Game and apparently a nap with a kitty. I think Caleb might have a friend even before he's born. The cat's name is Daisy and ever since Tammy became pregnant, Daisy has hit her lap or should I say her belly, the second she sits down. This cat, or should I say "heating pad" is one of two Tammy rescued from a local shelter just before receiving 2 more when I came into her life. Daisy is one of the sweetest cats I've ever met. And I think she may just end up being one of Caleb's dearest friends.

Caleb's Countdown!

Today was the first of our weekly doctor appointments until we get to meet our son in person. I think the doctor started the weekly appointments a little early due to my elevated blood pressure. Our appointment was to consist of a biophysical profile (ultrasound), non stress test and a routine Dr appt. We arrived at 2:30pm for our scheduled appointment. The room seemed to clear out before I was called back. The front desk advised me I would not be having the ultrasound as one tech was on vacation and the other hurt her back and had to go home. So we did not get to see little Caleb today :-(

After about an hour waiting, I had my blood pressure and weight taken. My blood pressure was down 139/81. I think the hour to relax in the waiting room helped. My weight was down 3lbs. My vitals were good today. Steve and I then went to the room for the NST (Non Stress Test). They placed 2 monitors on my stomach. I think one was to check for contractions and the other was to monitor Caleb's heartbeat. They gave me this clicker to press when he moved. I really did not think he would move much, as he has been pretty calm (like his Daddy). Once Caleb's heartbeat started, he really started moving. I was to be there 20 minutes, I was there almost an hour. Steve and I were both sitting in a room in leather recliners - pretty nice! Steve was kicked out after about 10 minutes when another patient needed to be monitored. I felt bad he could not stay to hear Caleb. Caleb kicked the most that I have ever felt during this test. I don't think he liked the loud sound. The other patient said she could see my stomach moving when he kicked. The RN I saw (as my OB was on vacation) said that the NST produced a good result. They said they wanted to see 15 in 15. Something like his heart rate jumping 15 points on the graph in 15 seconds or something. She also said she could tell the amniotic fluid was at a good level by the test and either Caleb had good cardio or I did...I don't remember exactly. She talked really fast. We never left the doctor's office until after 5:00pm. We closed down the office. The RN was running really behind.

We are glad that the results came back good for this test. He needs to bake a little longer before he arrives to great us. I had what I believe to be the first Braxton Hicks Contractions a couple of days ago. I told Steve that I don't want to go through labor...I just want to go pick up Caleb from the store.

I am going to copy and paste an explaination of this test from the website www.ahealthyme.com (see next post - ran out of room)

Fetal Non Stress Test

From www.ahealthyme.com

What is a nonstress test?
A nonstress test is a simple, noninvasive procedure that involves monitoring your baby's heartbeat to make sure your baby is getting the oxygen he needs through the placenta.

This test helps your doctor determine if your baby is distressed and to make plans for delivery if he is.

When is a nonstress test performed?

The test is usually recommended in the third trimester if your pregnancy is considered high risk or if you have a low risk pregnancy but are already more than a week past your due date. In either situation, your healthcare provider may want to perform the test once or twice a week, or more often if necessary. It can be performed as early as 24 weeks.

If you have diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney disease, or heart problems, or if you're carrying twins or multiples, your doctor may suggest you have this test.

Your doctor may also recommend this test if an ultrasound picks up that you have too much or too little amniotic fluid around your baby, or if your baby is not moving as much as expected.

What happens during the test?

During the non-stress test, two belts are placed around your stomach. One belt records your contractions. (Contractions may be a sign of preterm labor if you're less than 37 weeks pregnant.) The other belt is attached to a monitor that records your baby's heart rate and movement. When the baby moves, his heart rate should increase -- just as yours does when you move around or exercise. Every time you feel the baby move, you push a button.

What do the results mean?

If your baby is moving and active, his heart beats faster by at least 15 beats per minute. This happens for at least 15 seconds at a time. In order to be considered normal or "reactive," this activity has to happen at least twice in 20 minutes. If your baby isn't moving much, the test is considered "nonreactive" or abnormal.

If the baby doesn't move during the 20- to 40-minute test, it's no cause for worry. He or she may just be asleep. Your doctor or a medical technician may try to wake the baby with a buzzer or by having you eat or drink to stimulate movement. Your doctor may want also to repeat the test every week -- or more often -- until your baby is born, just to play it safe.

This test sometimes delivers false positive results if it is performed early in the third trimester. As many as 50 percent of babies tested during their 24th to 28th weeks may have an abnormal result on a nonstress test, according to one study. And another 15 percent of tests conducted on babies in the 28th to 32nd week gestation may also produce an abnormal test result.

Talk to your doctor about what these results really mean and other tests that can rule out problems. Your doctor may repeat the test or perform additional ultrasounds to measure your baby's heart rate.

If the test is nonreactive, that doesn't mean something is wrong. It just means that additional tests might be needed to determine whether or not there is anything to worry about. If the test is reactive (normal), it's very reassuring and unlikely that the baby is in any immediate danger.

-- Sarah Henry is a freelance writer whose health and parenting stories have appeared in The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times Magazine, Health, Hippocrates, Parenting and other publications. She has also written for the online outlets Consumer Health Interactive, WebMD, BabyCenter and ParentCenter.

Biophysical profile (BPP)

The biophysical profile combines an ultrasound evaluation with a nonstress test (NST) and is intended to determine fetal health during the third trimester. This test is performed if there is a question about fetal health and well being resulting from either an examination, maternal/fetal symptoms, or if the pregnancy is considered high risk.

How is a BPP Performed?

There are two parts to the BPP, a Non-stress Test (NST) and an ultrasound evaluation.

The NST involves attaching one belt to the mother’s abdomen to measure fetal heart rate, and another belt to measure contractions. Movement, heart rate and “reactivity” of heart rate to movement are measured for 20-30 minutes. If the baby does not move for a time during the test, it does not mean there is a problem; the baby may be asleep. A nurse may use a small “buzzer” to wake the baby for the remainder of the test.

The ultrasound portion of the test is like any other obstetrical ultrasound performed during pregnancy and is performed by a qualified ultrasound technician who is usually overseen by a perinatologist. The ultrasound may take up to an hour, and the technician will watch for a variety of signs that are important in measuring the health of your baby.

What does the BPP look for?

Usually, five specific fetal attributes are studied and “scored” during the BPP:

Biophysical Attribute
Breathing
Normal: 1 breathing episode within 30 minutes
Abnormal: No breathing episodes within 30 minutes
Movement
Normal: 2 or more movements within 30 minutes
Abnormal: less than 2 movements within 30 minutes
Muscle Tone
Normal: 1 or more episodes of active extension/flexion of limbs, etc. (i.e. opening and closing a hand).
Abnormal: Slow extension/flexion of limbs, partially open fetal hand, etc
Heart Rate
Normal: 2 or more episodes of reactive heart rate acceleration within 20 min
Abnormal: 1 or more episodes of unreactive heart rate acceleration
Amniotic Fluid
Normal: 1 or more adequate pockets of fluid
Abnormal: Either no pockets or inadequate pockets of fluid

The total score will help decide the overall health and well being of your baby and help your doctor or midwife determine if your baby should be born sooner than planned.

What are the risks and side effects to the mother or baby?

The BPP is a non-invasive test that poses no known risks or side effects to the mother or baby. Although it should be noted that some concern has been raised on ultrasounds that are done for lengthy periods of time.

When is a BPP performed?

A BPP is generally performed after 32 weeks of gestation.

Compiled using information from the following sources:
WebMD, http:// www.wedmd.com
Biophysical Profiles, American Family Physician, April 15, 1999
Biophysical Profile: Ultrasound, Peter A. Gearhart, MD, June 10, 2005, http://www.emedicine.com

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Everyone. I have the absolute best husband ever! I am very thankful to be blessed with such a wonderful, thoughtful man for a husband. Steve delights in surprising me and he has done such a great job with the crib and the room we have to work with.

Merry Christmas everyone!!!

Merry Christmas to everyone. We hope all our friends and family have a very Blessed and wonderful holiday.
Unfortunately, Tammy had to work on Christmas Eve day and extremely upset that I was off for the day. Fortunately for us, I had a plan. For the past few weeks, I have been thinking about just what to do with the Crib and our spacually challenged condo. After a bit of moving furniture and careful planning, the day was packed with surprises for Tammy when she got home. Below are a few pictures of what she came home to on Christmas Eve.


The curtains have yet receive the "tie-backs" to keep them away from "little hands" but will serve a dual purpose. Tammy and I have been thinking about just how to keep our kitties from crawling in bed for the evening with Caleb. The curtains will drape over the crib, like a mosquito net and keep Caleb kitty-free. Let us know what you think.

Even Rylee is excited about Caleb's homecoming!!!

Christmas is next week...

Another Birthday had come and gone (Steve, 37). Its hard to believe how close its getting to seeing our "Baby Boy". It feels like the days are flying by now. Nothing huge has happened in the past week or so, since our last post. Christmas gifts have almost all been wrapped. (I think Tammy still has a bit of wrapping to do). And a second morgage was taken out on the condo to Fed-Ex/UPS the other gifts to family. Can you believe the cost of shipping a 2 lb. package three states away??? And I thought there were crooks at the fuel pumps!!!
Tammy and I spent our Saturday (Dec. 15th) at NASA. As cool as it was, its really a place you go see every few years or so. It was my first time back there since moving to Houston. Not too much has changed and to be honest the whole reason we went was sort of a let down. (pictured below) I'm not sure what I expected, but it was nice to spend the day with my beautiful bride. We're both looking forward to our next Ultrasound (Dec. 28th) Hopefully, Caleb will cooperate this time and smile big for the camera. Over the next month or so, there will be a series of Ultrasounds (1 a week) to measure his size, weight, etc. So maybe in one of those, we'll have a clearer preview of what hes going to look like. I'm not sure if everyone gets the "red carpet treatment" or just those expecting over 35, but it sure is nice.

So close to Christmas and approaching 60 days to go...

Hello everyone. With Christmas quickly approaching, we are coming down to our 50 day countdown. For some odd reason, this 9 months has been super fast and at the same time super slow, if thats possible. And if thats not enough, I can't seem to get into the Christmas spirit. I love this time of year so much, but just can't get "jolly". Maybe its the 80 degree temps here in Texas or maybe its the nesting phase was are into and not wanting to mess up everything with a tree and lights, etc. Here it is Dec. 12th, we still don't have our tree up. Tammy and I are heading to NASA on Saturday as a "birthday trip" for me to see the Star Wars display of the original lightsaber used by Luke Skywalker, after its return from the last space mission. I can't wait.
As for Caleb news, Tammy had her first rough patch Sunday night. We're not sure whether Caleb isn't fond of late night pizza or if she got something a little out of date on it. Either way, it wasn't pretty and we're very thankful shes as far along as she is without any episodes until now.
This past Tuesday (Dec. 11th), Tammy had a 31 week checkup and we returned to try for some better pictures of our "shy boy". Well, apparently, there's even less room in the womb, than before. For these pictures, Caleb was obscuring his face with not only his hands, but his feet as well. Looks like we'll just have to wait until the delivery.
Thats it for now. But before we sign off, I'd like to say congratulations to my Sister and Brother-in-law, Jennifer and Evan Morris, on the upcoming arrival of Baby #2 due in July. Thats all we need is ANOTHER July birthday. (hehe) Congratulations Morris family. We can't wait to find out what he/she will be.