Riding the Blood Pressure Roller Coaster

(WARNING:  Despite the association with roller coasters--which really are exciting...this post is extremely boring and is really more to help my (currently awful) memory than anything else. Who blogs about blood pressure anyway? Geeez.. )

The last information I gave about the pregnancy was that I was supposed to watch my blood pressure really close. Well, those two weeks of home testing came back NOT high (but close) and the doctor seemed relieved and told me not to worry about it anymore. I tried really hard to not say I told you so...

Then came the appointment two weeks ago...blood pressure scary again at the appointment, ANOTHER lovely 24 hour urine sample (I was so excited..), and more home bp testing requested. 

The results--I passed the urine test, but my blood pressure did have some rather high averages toward the end of the week. I went to my last appointment on Monday fully willing to swallow my pride admit my blood pressure may be getting in the high range outside the doctor's office as well as in.  So of course their measurement that day came back completely normal.

SUMMARY: I don't get what's going on with my body. I don't think the doctor gets it. I hope this little wiggly lump has a plan, because the rest of us sure don't.

This Friday will mark the start of 38 weeks!!! No dilation yet, but 50% effaced.

 Do we dare head to Salt Lake this weekend? If he ends up being a conference baby, he runs the risk of being little Dieter Hedin...his "forget me not" talk was pretty amazing.

Something Against Little Boys?

 I've noticed a sad trend in every store's baby section I enter. Take this website I was browsing today for example....

See? Pathetic!! Why are little girls so favored? Looking on the bright side, this dilemma creates a built in safety mechanism for our savings account. Less to choose from...less temptation.

( I really am very grateful that this little boy's wardrobe won't have to include a different colored gigantic flower headband to match every outfit.)

While the clothing selection was pretty nonexistent, the binkies made me laugh

This one is my personal favorite.

Just Another Reason I'm Proud to Live in Logan, UT

Here's the story: Bystanders Rescue Motorcycle Driver Trapped Under Burning Car

White Coat Hypertension

Yet another visit to the doctor today...and my blood pressure sky rocketed right on cue. They really are quite puzzled with me. Everything but my blood pressure is normal. Normally when high blood pressure is an issue the baby measures small.  Not our little boy, he is in the 68th percentile. I finally got the doctor to admit there is an actual condition called white coat hypertension or white coat syndrome, where being at the doctor's office causes elevated blood pressure and the rest of the time it's normal.
If he had lived in a hospital setting for the first 6 months of his life being poked and prodded maybe he would understand. To prove my theory I'll be taking my own bp measurements at home for the next two weeks. Meanwhile, I have been ordered to come in for weekly ultrasounds for the rest of this pregnancy. We should be pretty familiar with this little guy's face by the time he enters the world...if he ever decides to stop hiding it behind his hands.

Just Our Luck

While in the midst of the 24 hour urine collection process (See “Baby Boy Update” if you are lost...and keep reading the next 3 posts after that because I've been doing A LOT of catching up the last couple days), Ammon and I agreed to watch my brother’s three girls while they went on a date night with another couple in their ward. My sister-in-law had had the same test during her last pregnancy, so the older girls knew not to drink the “orange juice” in the fridge. My brother and sister-in-law ended up getting home around midnight and we stayed and talked with them for a good hour and a half after that.

As we left Smithfield to head home to our apartment in Logan at 1:30 in the morning, I informed Ammon that we’d have to book it home because I had to use the restroom and I refused to mess up this test and have to take it again. My fatal word of warning was “just don’t get pulled over and I’ll be fine.”

Well of course a cop car pulled up next to us as we were leaving Smithfield. We were both tired and trying to be extra cautious. The last thing we’d want would be to speed past him and risk getting a ticket. Turns out we were going too slow for his liking which aroused suspicion. He saw our Idaho license plates and called in to check up on us.

He pulled us over a half a block from our apartment! Turns out the registration on our car was expired, and according to his computer it also wasn’t insured (it was). We got this lovely long lecture about how he was “giving us a huge break because he should impound our car” and wrote out a ticket. The whole process took FOREVER and the whole time I was just staring eagerly in the direction of our apartment wondering if I could ask the officer’s permission to run home with my little collection jug to the restroom. I wonder if anyone has ever pulled that pregnancy card to get out of a ticket?

Coincidentally, the icing on the cake to this unfortunate event was the next morning when Ammon checked his email and had a message from our car insurance company about how it was time to renew our policy. Really? The day after we get a ticket? Why not the day before?

The happy ending to this story is that the ticket only ended up being $30, my bladder of steel made it home and through the remaining 24 hour sample, and the protein levels in my urine are normal. This means I probably don’t have preeclampsia as the doctor feared. 


At least Ammon has a healthy wife and baby, despite his now not so healthy driving record.

Baby Boy Update

 July 28: Another doctor's appointment. I drank a nasty sugar drink . This was so that the doctor could see if I had gestational diabetes or not. I had some friends and family tell me how awful the drink was, trying to prep me. The first few sips weren’t so bad, but by the bottom of that little bottle I saw what everyone was talking about.

At the previous doctor’s appointment in June, he spent the whole time telling me I had gained a lot of weight and asking if I knew why. That really makes you feel good. Since then I have been really trying to eat a lot healthier and get more exercise in. The result: only a one pound gain in July! Yeah! I was glad I didn’t have to be told I was fat again. That still doesn't stop the comments of "Whoa, that is going to be a big baby" from every third person I come in contact with. 

August 1:

Our doctor is worried because I have had three readings of high blood pressure throughout the pregnancy now. I keep trying to tell him that simply sitting in the doctor’s office does that to me. (I think there is some remembered anxiety from all the time I spent in hospitals after I was born premature.) When I’ve measured it on a machine at home, the readings have been normal.

As a result, of his concern I will be having more frequent dr visits and ultrasounds (that part we aren’t so upset about) and take a 24 hour urine test to make sure the baby is growing how he should and that my body is functioning properly. Here are some new pictures from the August 1 ultrasound:

He still likes to always have his hands in front of his face.

After the technician pestered him for a little bit he moved on hand away.
He didn't seem too happy about that though.

In the end this was the best shot we could get.
Who do you think he looks like? I sure can't figure it out.

Baby Boy’s measurements were perfect! He is weighing in at a whopping 3 pounds 9 oz. The ultrasound technician predicts at least an 8 pound baby by the time he is ready to arrive which may be sooner than the original Oct. 14th due date.

Here's What You've Missed (Part 3)

July 23: My mom took me shopping for material to make some baby blankets (pictures to come)! My poor dad and Ammon were also brought along and had to endure hours of my indecisiveness. Boys are hard! I could have picked out thousands of combinations of girl stuff by the time I found a few yards of boy material that I liked.

July 25: Our personal celebration of Pioneer Day. Ammon and I went up Green Canyon (where we first really noticed each other at a bonfire and where he later proposed...awww). We drove past the campground where the proposal took place (there was a camper parked there so our reminisces were short) and on to one of the Logan Temple quarry sites. 

Here is the sign.We hiked up to try and find the quarry itself.
It was only a short hike (maybe a mile), but really hot.

And for some strange reason I forgot to take into account that the trail
to the quarry would be full of broken rock pieces when I planned the trip. 

But we made it..well at least we think so...we aren't sure if this was the actual
 quarry site or just rock blasted away to make a path...but something happened here.

Just in case, Ammon kept hiking up another huge hill to see if there was any
other evidence of a quarry farther up, I was content to stay in the shade...

and see what I missed through Ammon's awesome photography skills .

On the way back down we found a nice shady resting spot and sang I Love to See the Temple and Come, Come Ye Saints to honor those pioneers that worked so hard and sacrificed so much to make Logan such a beautiful place. The rest of the day was spent going to the last Harry Potter movie, Walmart, and doing a little more unpacking--not very pioneer-ish, but it was fun anyway. Happy Pioneer Day!!!

July 26: Sewing, sewing, and more sewing. Ok.. so I did maybe half a baby blanket and my mom did like five, but still...This baby boy is sure loved. Also got to see some high school friends at a bridal shower for Lauren Cundick (soon to be Lauren Hansen) which was wonderful.