A Full Week

We are one day away from our baby entering our lives. We are excited and anxious all at the same time. I am sure Jim will update his blog sometime on Monday to share our news. My parents are coming in tonight, and Jim's folks come in tomorrow. It is here!!

This week Laura and I made bird's nest cookies. It is a cute Easter cookie and quite tasty. I had forgotten that Laura doesn't really like to have messy hands, so I pretty much shaped the cookies and she added the M & M's. And then she didn't really even like them. She is extremely particular about her sweets! Regardless, it was fun.

Among all of our last-minute preparations for the baby's arrival, we've been in the midst of showing our house to a potential buyer. They came back this morning for a second look and decided to make an offer tomorrow. And yes, we do go into the hospital on Monday morning for a c-section.

The last thing we expected the week before my delivery was to be selling our house. A tip came from April about a couple looking to buy in our neighborhood, so we hopped on it even though we haven't put our house on the market yet. It would be a HUGE blessing if it all worked out now, and if we didn't have to stress about selling the house after the baby is born. We probably still won't move until June, and this actually will work out fine with the potential buyer. At this point, we just have to wait and see what happens.

We ask for your prayers as we welcome baby boy or girl on Monday morning. Specifically, we're praying that the c-section will go smoothly, the baby is healthy, and our transition is easy.

This and That

Laura enjoys playing games. We've tried to make Friday nights a game night of Candy Land and Hi Ho Cherrio. She really gets into the games, and, of course, her baby doll Stella also must have a turn. Jim is such a competitive player — even with these games — that sometimes you just want to smack him. But we have fun!

Laura likes my belly. In fact, Jim took a funny picture of her showing the baby in her belly while I was showing my bare belly. However, I'm not brave enough to share that picture with my fellow bloggers.

I did have a Dr. appt today, which lasted about 2 1/2 hours!!! I was a "work-in" this week because I forgot to schedule ahead, so I waited. I am 1 cm dilated, which scares me a bit since Jim is gone this weekend. But, the Dr. assured me that the baby has not dropped, so I could continue like this until the c-section date (March 17) if I make it. I have my doubts sometimes.

They are still hooking me up to the heart monitor for 20 minutes each visit, and all was well this time except for a fairly large contraction that made the heartbeat go all over the place.

Lastly, Jim and Laura like to take turns telling make-believe stories to each other. For the past week, she has had to have ear drops in one ear. So while she was lying down, letting the drops drain into her ear, story-telling became a nightly routine.

On Wednesday, I took her to the ENT because she still had a tube in her ear that was blocked with ear wax. A quick rendition of the gory details include her screaming "mommy," vomiting, and wetting her pants while being strapped down to a table as the doctor removed the tube.

It was tough on both of us. But, it is over and we are thankful.

Unfortunately, Jim is now sick. We are praying it is just another cold. I'm making him go to the doctor tomorrow since this is at least his fifth cold this winter.

Tidbits

Jim and I enjoyed a steak dinner at Regas last Saturday night. It was our Valentine's date. We had a good time talking, enjoying a really good piece of meat, and spending time alone.
We set up a lot of baby equipment this past weekend. We are not actually setting up the crib or doing all the decorating of the nursery until after the baby arrives; since we don't know the gender of the baby, it is difficult to get completely prepared. We also will have family at our house for two or three weeks after baby arrives, and they will need to camp out in the guest room/soon-to-be nursery.

Laura has enjoyed letting her babies play in the baby's swing and bouncy. She is gonna be a great big sister!
Finally, I'm feeling a bit sentimental about my last three weeks with Laura. It will never just be "us" again. While I'm excited to meet our new baby and be a family of four, it is also — as my good friend April says — a "time of mourning" that is totally normal. We are spending lots of time together. I took her to Veggie Tales Pirate movie tonight and had a Sonic burger and ice cream. She is a funny little girl to be with!

Dr. Visit/Coughs & Runny Noses

UPDATE: The appt with the Perinatal Doctor went fine. The heart is normal and no arrythmia was detected at the appointment. It was a little nerve-wracking because the sonographer of course said nothing throughout the entire ultra-sound. We had to wait for the Dr. to come in and verify the pictures. They did a full ultrasound and all parts/organs are normal. The baby is weighing 6 lb 3 oz! When Laura was born, she weighed 6 lb 4 oz, so this is gonna be a big one! The Dr. did advise me to give up caffeine and chocolate. I don't drink much caffeine, but I do like chocolate.

We are all feeling better and our colds are just about gone. Yay!

Thanks for your prayers.

Our house has been hit by the cold bug. Well, Laura is doing great, but Jim and I are using up tissues pretty quickly. I always brag to Jim who gets atleast 3 or 4 colds a year that I never catch a cold. But, it happened. Thankfully, Laura has rolled with it and has been happy to be entertained at home and even took a nap one day!

My OB appt. was today. I am still measuring in the 77% percentile, so this baby will be bigger than Laura who was a peanut. The doctor was a little concerned about the baby's heartbeat, so she hooked me up to the baby heart monitor. It appears that the baby displayed some heart arrythmia. My doctor reassured me not to be alarmed and that it is probably nothing, but did send me on to a Perinatal specialist who will do more detailed ultrasound on Monday. Jim and I aren't overly concerned, but obviously want a healthy baby. So, prayers are welcomed from you on Monday.

Transitions & Showers

I will be talking about my transitions frequently since our baby is set to arrive in seven weeks. I've always been emotional when it comes to change.

Today, I experienced a first of many forthcoming changes. It was my last day of teaching for a few years. While I welcome a new phase of being at home full time, I also really loved my job. I loved my students, the staff, and the good feelings I got from working there. It was extremely rewarding. If I haven't already said this, I worked three mornings a week at a small private school specifically for the Brethren religion. I mainly had one-on-one interaction with students who had struggles in different areas. The students were top notch, respectful and very appreciative of their teachers. (Almost sounds too ideal!)

As I finished my last class, the principal told me I was needed in another room. I followed, knowing something was up. All the students had gathered in one room and showered me with gifts and expressions of appreciation. It was special.

My students had picked out gifts for me that were so personal! One of my quiet students gave me a duck that laughs when you squeeze his toe. He wanted to make up for all the times he was so quiet in my room. I cried the whole drive home, and my sweet husband, who knew this day would be emotional for me, was waiting at home with flowers. I closed a chapter in my life today.


















My church friends and family showered me with love on Sunday. Have I said how much I love our church? They are the most real people to me! It was a fun time of opening gifts and sharing this time with my friends.

To Bank or Not to Bank?

We are faced with a decision: Do we bank this baby's cord blood?

While I've done some research and read some studies on this procedure, I've not come to a real defining "yes" or "no" decision. Really the sad fact is that it all boils down to money. It is quite expensive and a life-long choice to pay a yearly storage fee on the cord blood. If I was made of money, I'd do it. I mean it can't hurt.

I'm interested in others opinions either if you have done it, thought about it, or haven't done it.

I'd like to hear some feedback from someone other than the internet or the sales rep trying to sell it to me.

Growing Baby and Independent Laura

(FYI..The doctor reassured us that the baby does not have a hole in its head as it may seem in the picture.)

Baby Miller #2 has been placed in the 75th percentile at 29 weeks, and he/she weighs in at 3 pounds, 14 oz. The doctor said he/she had chubby cheeks — just like her father and big sister!

Jim and Laura were there for the visit, so it was nice to share that time as a family. Laura didn't really understand that the baby was on the ultrasound screen and not in my belly. She was in her mothering mode making sure I was OK. Check-up was fine, and I'm waiting to see if my iron levels are returning to normal. Hopefully they are since I don't think I can handle any more iron supplements!

Laura is fiercely independent and stubborn right now. She is testing her limits and probably getting away with too much because I am too tired or frustrated. I need to return to my "To Train a Child" methods!

We have also been answering tons of "why" questions, and by the end of the day, Jim and I are glad when the house is quiet. If I haven't mentioned this before, Laura is a non-stop talker. She wakes up talking, and it literally doesn't stop until her eyes are closed at night. Sometimes I wonder where this precious girl came from since I'm on the quiet side. My dad calls her "Laura Jim Miller" because she displays more of his personality and physical traits.


Now to end on a funny note. Over the holidays when Jim's family was with us in Knoxville, Jeanne (Jim's sister) had her fluffy dog Truman who occasionally gets ...uh... a little too friendly with objects and people's legs.

One night, Jim was giving Laura a vitamin in the kitchen and Truman was "getting acquainted" with his stuffed pig, which Jeanne refers to as the "dirty old pig." Jeanne promptly said, "Truman, stop humping that dirty pig."

Laura comes running into the room with a quizzical expression asking, "Truman is humping a pig?" It was classic.

Update on Baby Miller #2

Yesterday proved to me that I need to have more patience with doctors' offices. Jim and I spent about three hours waiting to see the OB, and then waited again for our ultrasound. Of course, it was all worth it in the end to see a precious baby!

Baby Miller #2 is healthy; all organs are in place and functioning; spine is good; heart chambers are working, and we got a good report overall. He/she weighs one pound and is scheduled to enter our lives by c-section around March 14th. My only complaint is taking the awful iron pills, which I have to continue throughout the pregnancy.

Here are some of the latest photos:

Baby Miller #2

I had a doctor's appt. yesterday with a new OB practice. I had mentioned in a previous post that I was unhappy with the large size of the OB I had started out with, so I decided to change. I'm very pleased with my new doctor and feel really good about our decision to use a new doctor.

The appt. went well. Jim and Laura joined me for this visit and we were blessed to be able to get an ultrasound done. I was hoping we could, so Laura could see the baby on the screen. I'm measuring about 6 days ahead of my due date which likely means this baby is just going to be bigger.

Laura is convinced she will have a baby sister...I sure hope she'll be happy if it is a boy instead. We are going to let the baby's gender be a surprise. The doctor actually could tell the sex of the baby because he/she was in a good position. I still can't believe I was able to hold out on not knowing! But, the surprise at the end will be totally worth it!

Any feelings out there if it is a boy or girl?

On a Schedule

My turn to go back to school started on Tuesday.

Our school is one of the latest to start for the year..after Labor Day. Can't say that the longer summer break bothered me too much! I am working Monday, Tuesday and Thursday morning. It is a pretty good set up and I like my new schedule. However, the early morning alarm clock has not been all that welcoming along with the daily morning sickness. All in all, glad to be back on a schedule and extremely thankful for my Wednesdays and Fridays with Laura.

I had my first OB appt yesterday. It went fine and the baby's heartbeat was nice and strong. I am set to have a C-section the week of March 15th.

The one huge difference I notice this time around with my OB is that I really do miss the small town White County Medical Center with Dr. Williams. I am in a huge practice here where I won't even see my OB each visit. And I only get one ultrasound! I think I had about 7 ultrasounds with Laura just so we could take a peek at her. I am very happy with my OB, but I can only sing the highest praises of Dr. Williams in Searcy and will miss that individual care that was given to each patient.

We are headed into the weekend where Jim and I will attend the first home Vol game!

A Sweet Moment

I woke up Wednesday morning with a case of morning sickness that lasted all day. As I was hugging the toilet, Laura walked in to see what was going on. I told her that sometimes the baby made mommy's tummy hurt.

She said, "I'll be right back."

When she returned, she held her pretend doctor kit in her hand. She proceeded to check my ears, heart, give me medicine, take my temperature, and check my blood pressure."

When she was finished, she patted my back and said, "You are all better now, Mommy."

Oh, how I appreciate her tender heart!

Catch-Up

It has been awhile since I've updated the latest in our life. I just returned from a fun-filled weekend with two of my most dearest friends. We had a fabulous time talking, eating, and spoiling ourselves.

Laura started ballet a few weeks ago. Three of her little friends are in that class, so it is adorable to watch all of them attempt to be graceful.

Laura started Pre-School last Thursday. She did great! I was so proud of my big girl. I love that she enjoys school so much; it makes my working those days so much better.

Finally, today was a big day for us. We got to have our 10 1/2 week ultrasound. The baby was moving so much. It is amazing to see those little hands and feet kicking. All looks wonderful, so I am officially graduated from my specialist to my OB/GYN. Our first appt. with her is next Thursday.

We're Pregnant!

I am nine weeks along and unable to hide the little bulge, so the news is out. The baby is due March 22.

Since this is still a delicate time of development, we welcome your prayers. We had an ultrasound two weeks ago, and the baby's heartbeat was visible, so we are feeling good.

We thought we'd tell Laura for the first time tonight at dinner that she was going to be a big sister. She didn't act very interested, so we figured it would take a while for her to catch on.

Well, we were wrong.

In Bible class tonight, she declared, "Hey, everyone (waiting for their attention), I'm gonna be a big sister. Mommy is having a baby."

When I went to pick her up, the teacher said, "I need to talk to you about something." I knew right away that Laura really did understand what we told her, and the news was out.

Besides the usual sickness and fatigue, we are all doing well and thankful for this blessing.