thankful for lice...

well it has been almost 2 years since my last post and a lot has happened.  oliver is a happy, energetic 2 year old that fills out life with joy and love everyday.  we added a new furry family member, kismah, a gentle german shepherd that loves to be around people.  i am still teaching and dominic is still working for GE.  i am currently pregnant with our 2nd child, a little boy.
i recently attended a workshop about the brain and struggling learners and discovered that writing a journal is something that actually calms the brain and body in times of stress.  this new knowledge came to me today as i was contacted by my dr.  the call was not a good one, my test results from my lyme test were positive.
let me start at the beginning...
about a month or so ago my school was going through what i like to call an outbreak of lice in most of the classrooms. if you are like me just hearing the word lice makes you start to scratch your head and feel uncomfortable...my fellow teachers and i would spend time most every day checking each other for nits.  we began to feel a bit like a family of monkeys.  it was a monday morning and i went to the school's secretary to have her check my head for lice.  what she found was far worse than the nits she could have seen...she found a red ring on the right side of my head just behind my ear.  now in my world of living with lyme disease this is not something you ever want to find or hear someone say they have found.  this typically means and definitely for me, means that i was relapsing with lyme.  if it were just me involved things could be somewhat simple...get on the combination of drugs that we know knocks it into remission and be done until the next round flares up.  but this is not the case since i am pregnant.  i did the best i could not to freak out...i called and got an appointment with my dr. for that friday.
i'm not sure how i got through the week?  but friday finally came...with being pregnant it is tough to tell what symptoms are pregnancy related and what could be a lyme relapse...my dr. told me of a new (4 months or so old) test that cultures your blood and looks for the actual spirochetes.  the only catch is that insurance doesn't cover it and the cost is about $600.  the price was worth it because the risks of not knowing were too high for my baby.
fast forward to this morning...i don't work until mid-morning on fridays and was taking advantage of this fact by sleeping in.  my phone rang and i saw the number for my dr.  the sinking feeling in my stomach worsened as he began to speak.  there was no doubt according to the results...i have active lyme flowing in my blood and body.  i did what i could to finish out the conversation with my dr. but the tears took over.  the fears and what if's are overwhelming...here is what i remember hearing the dr. say.
- untreated there is a 50/50 chance the baby will be sick
-with treatment the chance drops to 5% or less
-i need to be on 2 different antibiotics for the remainder of the pregnancy
after getting off the phone i spent some time crying and wishing that things were different and that i had never been bitten by that horrible tick.  wallowing in self-pity doesn't get one anywhere positive.
it was during a nice hot shower that i began to pray...for me, for protection for my baby and for strength.
the drive to school is short but full of thoughts...the question came to me...what am i to learn from this disease this time around?
i don't know why this is happening? i don't see the bigger picture.  i trust in God and know that we are in his hands.
i still have questions, am scared, and worry about my baby.  this disease is the hardest thing that i have ever had to deal with in my life.  it is a disease that i wouldn't wish on anyone!
it is an ongoing journey...it does not end...it is a constant battle to stay healthy or to get healthy...
i am grateful that this is my journey...there are many with far worse roads to travel.

surgery day

january 11, 2009 was a big day for the frank family...our little man had surgery to repair a partial unilateral cleft lip...it was an intense experience...we are grateful that it was as minor as a cleft lip...we arrived at the hospital around 9:30am and got registered...they took us back into a room in the pre-op area...

in pre-op room

in surgery gown in pre-op room

mom & oliver before surgery

dad & oliver before surgery

last family photo before surgery

dad dressed to take oliver into the operating room

still sleeping after surgery

our half of the room we shared

after surgery listening to the dr.

little guy with his iv

first family photo after surgery

thank you to everyone for the prayers, well wishes and positive thoughts sent our way!

Oliver & Bonaire

we were lucky enough to be able to spend 3 weeks down in bonaire this year for christmas and new years...this was the first time opa (my dad) and omi (sharon) and nonnie had ever met oliver...

opa & oliver

omi & oliver

nonnie & oliver

we spent the first half of our vacation with nana shelly and doc over at harbor village...oliver spent time on the beach, he even put his toes in the ocean...

not a bad spot to get to be

first time in the ocean

he also met Doc, Auntie Coco (Courtney) and Uncle Carson for the first time

Doc & Oliver

Auntie Coco & Oliver

Uncle Carson & Oliver

more to follow in upcoming posts

picures during the last 3 months

 

Oliver's first day

Nana Shelly & Oliver @ 3 weeks old

Papa the Great & Oliver @ 3 weeks old

Grammy & Oliver @ 4 weeks old

Grandpa Mike, Uncles Josh & Sam with Oliver @ 4 1/2 weeks

Grandma Jolene & Oliver @ 4 1/2 weeks old

Oliver's first Halloween

 Oliver and Thura (the cat) getting to know each other

 

Oliver's first Thanksgiving

 

lots to catch up on...

well when i last posted i was HUGE and very ready to have our baby...well it has been about 3 1/2 months and we are starting to get into the swing of parenting...it has been an amazing journey so far....the whole labor and delivery experience was far better and more intense then i thought it was going to be...dominic, oliver and i spent the first 2 weeks alone trying to adjust to our new life...wow...no one told us how little sleep we would get..haaaaaa...nana shelly (dom's mom) came out to visit after 2 weeks...it was great, she was a ton of help and left us with a lot of food in the freezer...my mom (grammy) came our after nana shelly's visit...again great to have help and she left even more food for us...then grandpa mike, grandma jolene, uncle sam and uncle josh (dom's dad, step-mom and brothers) came to visit...it was great to have more help again and more food...oh yeah my papa (papa the great to oliver) came to visit as well for a day...
after all of our visitors left we settled into life...we spent thanksgiving with seth and his family...we left early december for bonaire...we spent 3 weeks with my dad (opa) sharon (omi), nonnie, nana shelly and doc (richard) over christmas and new years...
we are back home now and going to a lot of dr. appts. to get prepped for oliver's surgery on monday the 11th...

new year's plan

i got this idea from oliver's nana shelly...i am going to take a picture (or more) a day of oliver and post it on a blog here is the link if you are interested in it
oliver

40 week photos...official due date!!!

was really hoping that we wouldn't get to the point where we were actually taking pictures at 40 weeks...was hoping the pictures would be of the baby not my belly...BUT no such luck...so belly it is...i think the biggest difference between 9 months and 10 months is the fact that my belly is lower because he has dropped down...

we have made it to 40 weeks...baby in 41st week of growth

well today is officially our due date...which doesn't mean a whole lot other then we know that we will def. have a baby within 2 weeks...one way or the other...here is his growth this week...

Your pregnancy: 41 weeks

See the big picture

How your baby's growing:

A bit over 20 inches long, your baby has continued to grow and may now weigh almost 8 pounds. As cozy as he is, your baby can't stay inside you forever. For your baby's safety, your practitioner will talk with you about inducing labor if your baby isn't born in the next week — earlier if there are any problems. Most practitioners won't let you wait more than two weeks past your due date to give birth because it puts you and your baby at increased risk for complications. About 5 to 6 percent of women have prolonged pregnancies that extend three or more weeks beyond their estimated due dates. Babies born at 42 weeks and beyond can have dry parchment-like skin and are often overweight. Waiting that long to deliver also increases your chance of developing an infection in your uterus that could be dangerous for your baby or of having a stillbirth. What's more, your labor is more likely to be prolonged or stalled, both you and your baby have an increased risk of injury during a vaginal delivery, and you double your chances of needing a c-section.

40th week of growth...we're getting there

See the big picture

How your baby's growing:

It's hard to say for sure how big your baby will be, but the average newborn weighs about 7 1/2 pounds (a small pumpkin) and is about 20 inches long. His skull bones are not yet fused, which allows them to overlap a bit if it's a snug fit through the birth canal during labor. This so-called "molding" is the reason your baby's noggin may look a little conehead-ish after birth. Rest assured — it's normal and temporary.

lots of contractions but none that are moving to the next level

growth during week 39...yeah...14 days until the due date!!

Your pregnancy: 39 weeks

See the big picture

How your baby's growing:

Your baby's waiting to greet the world! He continues to build a layer of fat to help control his body temperature after birth, but it's likely he already measures about 20 inches and weighs a bit over 7 pounds, a mini watermelon. (Boys tend to be slightly heavier than girls.) The outer layers of his skin are sloughing off as new skin forms underneath.

full term...yeah

here we are in our 38th week of growth...check it out...

Your pregnancy: 38 weeks

See the big picture

How your baby's growing:

Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.

Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)

a trip through the months in pics

month 3 on the left and month 4 on the right
















month 5 on the left and month 6 on the right
















month 7

month 8

month 9

well there you go...hope you got as big of a laugh out of them as i did...

pics at 9 months...

i am HUGE!!!! can only imagine what the next few weeks will bring....

we made it...9 months...36 weeks..

growth during this week

See the big picture

How your baby's growing:

Congratulations — your baby will be full term at the end of this week! This means that if your baby arrives now, his lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life outside the womb, even though your due date is still three weeks away.

Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

sunday, sunday, sunday

i feel like a commercial for the monster truck show...haaaaaaaa...we went to the midwife today and found out that if we go into labor before sunday (36 weeks) we won't be able to have our midwives...we would have to go to the bigger hospital in burlington so the baby could be monitored for 24 hours...so i am back to laying low and not doing a whole lot until sunday...
on a positive note:
*it's already wednesday so as my dad would say...thurs, fri, sat
*im not going to get this rest time once the baby comes so i should take advantage of it now
*i still get to go to my prenatal yoga class

i am thinking this little guy might want to join us sooner rather then later as long as he can wait til sunday im cool with that...he is def. dropped down pretty low and i am starting to get the waddle walk at times...haaaaaaaaaa

35 weeks...we're getting there...

after spending the past 2 weeks 'laying low' because of contractions (nothing major) i have been given the green light to return to normal activity!! i am very excited about this...it has been tough to be lazy...seriously...
here is this upcoming week's growth..

See the big picture

How your baby's growing:

Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement.

At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely she's in a head-down position. But if she isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying she'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating her from the outside of your belly.

day at the pool with friends

we finally had a day without rain...it was beautiful...here are a few pics...

running out of room in the belly...

i am def. feeling this guy get bigger...he is running out of space...he is in the head down position which means that his little butt is under one side of my ribs while his feet are busy kicking under the other side...haaaaaaaa i wonder if he will be this active once he is out? we might be in for a handful if he is...

here is what he is doing this week...

Your pregnancy: 35 weeks

See the big picture

How your baby's growing:

Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

BABYMOON...one last getaway...

this is where dominic and i escaped to this past weekend for our babymoon...this is larry and mary's house in connecticut...this house has been a labor of love for them for the past 12-15 years...you should see the before, during and after photos...amazing!! it is beautiful and comfortable and welcoming...
this is the path leading up to the pool area...thankfully it was beautiful while we were there and we were able to enjoy it...
this was so great to be able to relax in the water and stay cool...
this is where we spent our evenings after having fantastic food for dinner...larry got a fire going and we all just chilled out...
on saturday larry and mary had some neighbors over to hang around the pool...rod is standing in the background holding a potato cannon...dominic is holding the potato...this became a very fun game for them...shooting potatoes into the woods...
dom had a great time with this and no doubt we will own one at some point in time and he will be shooting potatoes off into our woods with our little guy...

this was a great getaway weekend for us...larry and mary were amazing and we had a blast spending time with them...thanks guys!!!