Sara on the Go, Brian Not So

Brian's back is much worse than originally thought, although you could tell every time when he moved he grimaced. Friday he was in so much pain he had to leave work early and went back to the doctor. They prescribed Vicatin which helps a little bit, but just masks the real problem. Luckily, we called our sister-in-laws chiropractor on Friday around 4pm and they got him in on Saturday. They diagnosed a herniated disc. Ouch is an understatement! The chiropractor even came in on Sunday to check in on his progress and ended up sending him home with the electrode machine (as Sara calls it) and has him doing some exercises to try to reduce the inflammation. On Monday, Brian will see him twice. This chiropractor is fabulous...we really are blessed with good doctors! So, since Brian is in no shape to drive, Sara's Dad will come up and chauffeur him and take care of him in general. It's nice that he can do that for Brian, we sure appreciate it!

Sara on the other hand is on the go. Maybe it is nesting but she usually likes to get her "to do" list done and fortunately she is still somewhat mobile to get the tasks crossed off. Saturday consisted of taking B to the chiropractor, going to the jewelry store to get her rings checked/cleaned, going to CostCo, taking the leaves to the Fall Clean-up site, taking both cars in for oil changes, getting Chipotle, putting on winter comforter, packing up ARC donations, dropping off ARC donations, getting and installing new windshield wipers, making returns and shopping at Babies R Us, Target run, and picking up the house. Whew! However, Sara's Dad came up to help with most of that since Brian was out of commission. Thanks Dad!!! People continue to be surprised that she's due in just 2 weeks, we guess that's a compliment that she looks good, but Sara is getting ready to meet Baby H. She is a bit uncomfortable when sitting for long periods of time and would love to have a permanent masseuse at her disposal at the house! Otherwise, still doing good. Tonight she is going to make some sugar cookies (did we mention before the sugar cravings?!?!)

On Saturday night, Jim, Annie, and Sam came over with dinner in tow. That was nice!! We ate downstairs in the bar so that Brian could stand up and join us (laying and standing are his two preferred positions). It was nice catching up with them and seeing Sam. We can't believe how much he grows between the times we get to see him!

We'll keep you updated on Brian's back! We've appreciated everyone's offers to help out. Keep praying that he has a quick recovery...Sara is a bit freaked out at the notion that he won't be functional for labor and delivery, but we do have a plan if needed. Jim is on call to take her to the hospital and be her person until one of Sara's cousins can take over during labor and delivery. Fortunately they are both nurses, one even works in labor and delivery!! And we're sure Sara's Mom will be present as well if Brian isn't!

All Belly!

Never thought Sara would post a pic of her belly like this, but some friends and family have been requesting a true belly shot, so here you go!! Sara really is all belly....a little basketball :)

Today, Week 38:


Week 33:

No stretch marks yet, but we have some days to go! Her belly button is finally a partial outie - better late than never. Still waiting for the dark line to appear. Sara continues to feel really good. Sugar cravings have intensified...Baby really likes Heath bars - YIKES! She gained one pound since last week's doctor appointment, so she's up to 29 pounds total. Sleep has been okay, Sara's internal wake-up time is now 5:14 AM so we're starting to think that Baby H will be a morning baby.

This weekend we're having a date night on Friday, otherwise keeping it low key. Brian pinched a nerve on his back and has been in pain since Saturday. It's not fun to see someone you love in pain, but he says it is getting a little better every day. He's on anti-inflammatory and pain meds, but nothing too strong so that he is alert in case Baby H makes his appearance soon (Brian's choice).

Randle has been a very good puppy lately. He must know the Baby will be here soon. He loves to sniff Sara's belly. Wonder what exactly he smells? Here is a pic of Randle from tonight. What a cutie! He really wants his treat!

38 Week Appointment

We have progression! Sara is about 1 cm dilated and the doctor thinks the baby is about 7 and a half pounds. The doctor thinks that he will see us next week for our 39 week appointment but most likely not the 40 week appointment (ie Baby H probably will make an appearance before his due date of November 19). We're excited but patient. Sara definitely doesn't mind having him in her so whenever he decides to come, he'll come. We're also wondering if maybe Baby H will come the weekend of November 20 since that is when our doctor is on call. It would be neat if he delievered our little one. It would also be neat if he came on November 22 so that he would share a birthday with Sara's Dad. Sara shares the same birthday with her Grandpa Kelly so maybe the tradition will continue?!?! But both of those scenarios put us past our due date. We just say, what's meant to be, will be!!

Yesterday, Sara's work had a baby shower for her. A fun time was had by all! The pacifier corsage was cute, the cake was super yummy, and the 3 layer diaper cake one of Sara's employees made was just wow! We once again were overwhelmed by people's generosity for the little guy. He received a lot of clothes, bibs, blankets, and toys. He even received a little snowsuit!! Too cute!!

And the Best Husband Ever Award Goes to....

....Brian Michael Hillins!! He is so sweet. He went out and bought Sara a piece of white cake with white frosting after knowing she was craving it. Added bonus were the sprinkles which Sara absolutely loves!! :)

37 Weeks - Full-term!

We are 37 weeks today, so we made it full-term! Yipppeee!! At the Doctor this morning we learned that his head is much further down now, but still no dilation. The cervix has thinned out quite a bit too so the Doctor is anticipating seeing dilation at our appointment next week. The Doctor did a non-stress test today to monitor the baby's movements. All looked great!

Sara had a growth spurt between the last appointment and today - she gained 2 pounds, so she's up to 28. The Doctor says that is right on track, so he's happy. Good! Wonder what it will do for next week's weigh-in when she enjoys a Pumpkin Pie blizzard this weekend and polishes off the second loaf of pumpkin bread she made this week. Oh well!! Happy Mommy equals happy baby (and husband)!

How are you feeling?

How are you feeling is common question that Sara must get about 10 times a day from work colleagues and friends, so thought we should post how Sara is feeling for all of you that don't see her on a daily basis. Sara continues to feel great - still at 26 pound weight gain, no water retention so she continues to wear high heels daily, no real cravings (although last night she really wanted a piece of white cake with white frosting), heartburn has subsided, and no real food aversions (although it's a rare occasion that she eats fruits, vegetables, or meat). She doesn't have that exhausting feeling that people talk about, but she does try to be in bed by 10:30pm. Sitting for hours at a time can get uncomfortable because the baby likes to position himself right along her ribs. Sleeping is pretty much the same. She doesn't have to get up to use the rest room a lot but she will change which side she sleeps on every few hours to avoid hip, leg, and tummy pain. Nesting hasn't really kicked in yet. Sara is all belly...from the back you can't even tell she's pregnant and depending on if she's wearing a black top you may not be able to tell from the front either. View from the side? Well that is a different story!

Sara had her H1N1 vaccine last night. No side effects at all, but she didn't with the seasonal flu vaccine either. We're just glad that she got it because now Baby Boy H should get some of the coverage/benefits too!

We're a tad jealous that Sara's parents and Brian's parents are in Vegas together. Sara's Mom surprised Sara's Dad with a trip there to celebrate his upcoming 60th birthday on November 22! Since the Hillins live just a few hours away and can't resist a trip to hit the slots or see the Roslansky's, they decided to join as well! From what we hear, a good time is being had by all!

Tonight will be a fun night - we're meeting Jim, Annie, and Sam for the Godfather's Pizza buffet. The last time we were all there was about this same time during Annie's pregnancy. Babies must like the cinnamon streusel dessert pizza. YUM!

Happy Birthday Randle!

Randle turned 5 years old today! What a big boy!! Every year we make him feel very special on his big day and this year was no exception. Last night he slept on an extra comfy bed (ie put his bed on top of piled cushions to make it super soft) and this morning he got an extra long belly rub and a peanut-butter kong filled with extra peanut butter. Yes, he still had to spend his special day in his kennel, but at night he had his real birthday celebration complete with gifts and a cake!

He received a new toy, rawhide sticks, and his favorite treat - a flossie!! We think he was in heaven. You only turn 5 once, so gotta make the most of it! He is the oldest member of the house now - 5 in doggie years equals 35 in human years. Happy Birthday Randle!!

36 Week Appt

We had our 36 week appointment today. Can we just say how much we love our Doctor? He's the absolute best!! We learned that Baby H is about 6.5 pounds, his head is down, and he has a strong heartbeat. We're not dilated yet. The Doctor thinks we are on track for the week before or the week after November 19 (due date). Sara continues to track right on to where the Doctor wants her to be and has gained 26 pounds to date still. The Doctor thinks Baby H will be between 8 and 8.5 pounds. Can't wait for the little guy to get here!!!! From here on out we have appointments every week so look for blog updates on this subject weekly!

We also learned that our hospital has new visiting rules in effect because of H1N1. We're glad they are taking precautions but a little bummed that our visitor experience will be a little different than Jeff/Dawn's and Jim/Annie's. The new rules are:
- Visiting hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Visitors must sign in and be screened for influenza-like illness
- Sibling visitors must be age 5 or older
- Non-sibling visitors must be age 16 or older
- Maximum of three visitors per patient at a time
- Visitors are asked to follow hand-hygiene procedures by washing hands or using the antibacterial foam provided throughout the hospital.
So, that means we won't be seeing Sam, Brooke or Lauren at the hospital and we can only have 2 people besides the two of us in at a time. But, we can have all the photo ops we want with everyone once we're home. The most important thing is that Baby H stay well!

3D Pic of Baby H at Week 35 and 2 Days

We had our second 3D-4D ultrasound on Saturday. It was a free session as part of a promotion and we were glad that it was indeed free because we didn't get to see much this time around. We learned that he's dropped quite a bit and he's facing Sara's back so good pictures were nearly impossible but it was fun to see him even from just a 2D angle and the few 3D images and 4D movements we did get. We got this shot near the end of the session - yep, his eye is open. A little weird but all of a sudden it's like he winked at us. So precious!!!
He's definitely filled out and continues to look like Brian did as a baby. We're pretty sure he's going to be a big baby complete with chubby cheeks to pinch. We'll see what our Doctor says at our 36 week appointment on Wednesday!

Frank, Tammy, Sienna, and Sam!

We've had quite a few visitors this past week and we love it. First we had family friends Frank, Tammy, and little Sienna over for dinner. Frank was in town on business and it was great to see them and catch up!

Last night we had the pleasure of watching Sam. He is growing up so fast!!! He loved our pack and play probably because it has the vibrate feature. Big thank you to Aunt Kathy, Uncle Bob, and cousins Sarah and Emily!! He was so intent on getting the elephant, but he'll have to wait a bit until his arms are a bit longer!!