Ring Sling

This post is mainly for my friend Staci who inspired me to get a ring sling. After some research, and discovering that ring slings can cost anywhere from $35 to $60, I decided to make my own. I found directions on how to make a no-sew sling (but actually my mom hemmed the fabric so that it was reversible and no selvage ends). I've enjoyed using my new sling and I have a black one and a brown one (pictured) that I simply change out when I want a different color. For the price of one $35 sling I could have half a dozen different fabrics. Instead of purchasing the more expensive and lightweight aluminum rings at http://www.slingrings.com/ I purchased my steel ones at Lowe's. They are heavier and they are only available in 2 inch, whereas, 3 inch is more recommended especially if you are using heavier weight fabric. But, my $1.00 rings work just fine (and they are rated for use up to 200 lbs - I could carry BJ in the my sling if I wanted...if only I were that strong!).

Some Favorite Photos (May-July 2009)

Griffin's Birth 4/23/2009

One Week Old Today!

Griffin James Withrow
Born Thursday, April 23, 2009 at 11:06 a.m.
6 lbs 14 oz, 18.5 inches

BJ came into the living room this morning a few minutes after 11:00 a.m. and reminded me that Griffin was born just one week ago today. Amazing! Time sure does fly by. Griffin is doing great. He is a sweet precious baby boy. He sleeps well and eats like a champ. Today was his first pediatrician appointment. He is healthy and growing like a weed. He's already 7 lbs 3 oz. Dr. F was impressed by his growth rate in his first week - he attributed it to my "super-powered breast milk" (sorry if that's TMI but I'm quite proud). Griffin will need to have a follow-up ultrasound in 2-3 weeks to look at his kidneys one last time to make sure that the fluid issue is completely resolved. I fully expect it to be, and Dr. F said there was no swelling or indication of a problem but he wanted to be 100% sure - that's why I love that man as my children's pediatrician! I just feel so blessed by the birth of our newest son. I'm smitten and totally head over heels for him. Lily and Schaeffer are doing great with him. Lily loves him to pieces and Schaeffer likes to look at him and say "Baby!" We are truly blessed!

False Alarm...Again!

This pregnancy is proving to be the craziest thing ever. It's almost like I've never done this before. This morning at 7 a.m. I woke up with really strong contractions every 5 minutes. This went on for an hour when I decided to call Dr. B. I was advised to go to the Women's Pavilion. I was convinced today was the day! The contractions were not stopping. When I arrived at the Women's Pavilion and was monitored for an hour, the nurse confirmed that indeed I was having contractions every 5-6 minutes consistently. But alas, these contractions did not amount to any progress. When I arrived I was 3.5 to 4 cm and 50% effaced like I was on Thursday at my 37 week appt. After a couple of hours at the Women's Pavilion I was still the same. I chose to go home so I could eat and walk. And sometime around 3 p.m. this afternoon the contractions trailed off and I've only been having a few every hour. I'm convinced that Griffin is getting way to comfy in his little cozy world and will eventually have to be booted out by more extreme measures. Luckily, Dr. B has agreed to induce labor on April 23, one week before my due date, if Griffin does not arrive before then. I'm getting really uncomfortable and irritable with all these contractions that don't amount to much of anything. Maybe I got too good at preventing labor between 28-36 weeks that I forgot how to go into labor when it was safe! I know Griff will come when he is ready. I'm trusting God with this one, but I sure have been praying for relief to come very soon.

Making a List, Checking it Twice

I'm making my dessert list. These are my top dessert choices for when Griffin is born. It's been 30-some-odd weeks and counting* since I've had more than a bite of some sweet confections thanks to gestational diabetes. And I'm getting quite excited about the idea of eating dessert again very soon.

Not in any particular order...
Chocolate chip cookies from Panera Bread, with an I.C. Mocha to wash it down!
Pretty much any dessert from Litton's, especially a cream cheese brownie (but not cheesecake because it too closely resembles cheese and not dessert)
Chocolate cake from my mama
Baskin Robbins Pralines and Cream ice cream
Starbucks Caramel Macchiato (iced if it's a nice warm day)

*Baby update: Griffin is still doing great. I had my 37 week OB appt today. I'm now dilated 3.5-4 cm, 50% effaced, and having very regular contractions ranging from 7 to 15 minutes apart. We're just waiting for my contractions to be more like 5 minutes apart and more consistent, or for my water to break. If any of those two things happen it will be time to head to the hospital. I'm getting very excited! I can't wait to meet my newest little man and kiss his sweet cheeks.

Griffin's Nursery - COMPLETE

The nursery is finally done, and just in the knick of time. Griffin is free to be born now that we reached 36 weeks. And I stopped taking my Brethine today. Now we just wait and see what happens!







These are paintings that Lily did for Griffin. She was very excited about painting for him and being able to hang them in his room. I thought she did an excellent job with the color and creativity! It'll be something I will cherish forever, and hopefully Griffin will too.

Baby Shower Postponed

Our sweet Bible Fellowship class has organized a baby shower for me and Griffin. But unfortunately with the flu and stomach bug going around several of the hostesses are sick and/or have sick family at home. It was decided to postpone the shower to next Saturday, March 21 at the same time, same location. Hopefully all the guests on the invitation list will get the email update, facebook message, and/or see this post.

Good News At Last

We had another OB appt today with Dr. B. This appt included a very thorough ultrasound that measured the amniotic fluid, Griffin's heart rate, his breathing, his measurements, and his movements. His heart rate is perfect around 150 bpm. He finally took a breath after about 10 minutes of the nurse trying to wake him up, which is really common for babies still in the womb. He probably weighs about 4.5 lbs and on track to weigh about 6 lbs like Lily and Schaeffer were at birth. Out of an 8 point score, Griffin scored an 8! That means he is right on track and he looks very strong and healthy despite all the contractions I've been having. Dr. B explained that preterm labor could signify a variety of problems, including low amniotic fluid or development problems with the baby and that's why they did the ultrasound today. But Griffin and I checked out just fine. Dr. B was pleased and said he'd give me a "gold star" since he figured I was a perfectionist and needed the reassurance that I'm doing everything okay. He also laughed and told me, "don't let the idea of perfection make something good look bad." He explained that my pregnancy isn't perfect, but it's good and I need to be willing to accept good. I agreed! So I'm instructed to continue doing what I've been doing, which is to take Brethine every 4 hours (or every 2 when needed), rest a lot, drink lots of water, and no lifting.

Because I have responded so well to Brethine over the past month, Dr. B is optimistic that it will continue to work over the next few weeks to hold off labor. And then at 36 weeks I'm free to stop taking it and see if labor begins shortly after. If the Brethine were to stop working before 35 weeks he would try some other medications. But if labor were to begin around 35.5 weeks, he probably would not try to stop it if everything else looked good. Until then, as long as I'm having 4-5 contractions an hour he is comfortable with that. He would be more concerned if I were having 6 or more contractions an hour and were dilating beyond 3 or 4 cm. I guess Dr. B has this down to a science. It was very reassuring to know that Griffin is a healthy, growing boy, and that Dr. B was pleased with how everything was going so far.

32 Weeks and Counting

We had another OB appt today, which included an ultrasound. Dr. B wanted to check up on Griffin's kidneys again to see if the fluid has lessened. Praise the LORD! He only had minuscule amounts of fluid in his kidneys which probably means the blockage is working itself out and his kidneys are able to rid themselves of the fluid. The nurse also went ahead and did some measurements to see if Griffin's growth was on track. Sure enough, he measured 32 weeks and 3 days and today I am 32 weeks and 1 day. He's right on track. And Griffin's head is down instead of in the breech position he has been in since 20 weeks. I was encouraged to know that he flipped and got into proper birthing position!

The somewhat negative part of the appt was when I was told I'm already dilated 2 cm. At 32 weeks I really shouldn't be dilating, but with all the contractions I've been having it didn't come as a big surprise. I've been ordered to rest a lot more and to NOT lift! I believe the nurse said, "No, no, no lifting. I know it will be hard with 2 small children at home, but you just can't be lifting." She's absolutely right. It will be hard, but with Griffin's health on the line it's what needs to happen. BJ will be working from home indefinitely - or until after Griffin is born and we know he is healthy. Please pray for BJ because he's already working two full-time jobs between mine and his. He will be working at the "home office" nights and weekends to keep afloat. It will be hard on him, and it will be hard on me to sit by and watch him do all the work to take care of our family. We know Jesus will provide for our needs, and He has already surrounded us with so many amazing friends and family who have already helped tremendously.

Griffin's Nursery Coming Together

It's been a slow process with many phases to get Griffin's room in order. We are now at Phase IV: furniture setup and room decor. This is my favorite phase because I finally get to see the room coming together. Here are some photos of the room, which is still a work in progress:

Crib with bedding:



Close up of bedding:



Shelves for toy storage:



Artwork by Mommy (that would be me). I got the idea from a Pottery Barn Kids catalog, but I didn't want to pay $159 per print. These still need to be framed:

Good News; Great Friends; Crazy Kids

I love good news, but I love great friends even better. Bad news is much easier to take with good friends around. And good news is that much better when you can share it with friends. Today I got good news from my OB appt when the FFN test came back negative, meaning I'm at a much lower risk of going into preterm labor over the next two weeks. Apparently all the precautions we've taken over the past two weeks have helped. I'm supposed to continue doing what I've been doing which is to take Brethine every 4 hours, drink lots of water, and rest as much as possible. And on top of my good news our really great friends Amanda and Shane brought us dinner, not just one dinner but two! Tonight we enjoyed beef tips with rice and peas. Yummy! And, they brought us a homemade lasagna for another night. Yum yum! Even if I'd received some bad news today things would've been made better by a large helping of beef tips and rice.

Yesterday was a slightly different day. BJ had a meeting to attend in Nashville and so he was gone all day until 7:30 p.m. It was the first day in two weeks that I had been all on my own. The kiddos were in rare form. Schaeffer hasn't been feeling good so he's been extra fussy. Lily was wired all day long and began tormenting her brother. Things got a lot worse when Schaeffer fell out of his crib after naptime, probably from trying to climb out. That's the first time he's ever tried that. Without thinking I ran up the stairs and whisked him off the floor. He was fine and he calmed down quickly. I, on the other hand, started having contractions that didn't stop until I was able to lay down when BJ got home. I tried to lay on the couch while the kids played, but then Lily proceeded to pee on the floor (she's trying out the potty-training thing this week). Schaeffer began to melt down because his bedtime is around 7 pm but he gets really cranky about an hour before, and he's not feeling good. And then Lily and Schaeffer collided in the hallway and Lily got a bloody lip. Finally, BJ walked in the door and I went upstairs to lay on the bed because I was really feeling bad by then. Luckily the contractions stopped after laying down for a little while. If I continue to have days like yesterday, I'm not exactly sure how much rest I will be able to get with BJ returning to work. My prayer is that I can stay strong for another 7 weeks because I know once this baby is on the outside I'll be much more energetic, healthy, and able to manage my household the way I like - even if it means I have to drink 3 cups of coffee every day because of all the sleepless nights!

An Evening At the Hospital

We had a little bit of a scare yesterday. I started having contractions and my home remedies like lying down, drinking water, and taking Brethine weren't working. I was instructed to go to the Women's Pavilion for observation. After about an hour of contractions 7-8 minutes apart Dr. B's nurse practioner and the doctor-on-call (Dr. B is on vacation this weekend) ordered a shot of Brethine and two bags of IV fluids. The Brethine worked almost immediately and I started feeling a lot better. It took about 4 hours to get all the fluids and then I was sent home after it was determined that the contractions had decreased greatly - I only had 1 or 2 very small contractions after the shot and fluids. I've now been instructed to take Brethine every 4 hours around the clock instead of every 6 hours - the nurse told me to set my alarm at night to wake up so I don't miss a single dose! And I'm to drink tons of water all day long. Brethine makes me feel really shaky and funny so I hate to take it, but if that's what's going to keep Griffin in place for another 7-11 weeks then that's what I'll have to do.

Baby Update

It seems as if little Griffin is being a bit high maintenance! Turns out I'm trying to go into preterm labor...possibly. I've been having a lot of contractions lately. I had an OB appt yesterday with Dr. B. He said the amount and intensity of contractions I am having is not normal at 28 weeks - I sort of knew that since I've done all this before. If I were only having 1-2 per hour that would be okay, but I'm having more like 5-6 per hour and apparently that's too many for now. He did a fetal fibronectin test (FFN test) yesterday and I learned this morning the results of that test were positive (meaning I'm at a higher risk of going into preterm labor). Dr. B is following protocol for a positive result, which means I went this morning for a steroid shot and I'll be getting another one tomorrow. The steroid speeds up the maturity of Griffin's lungs just in case I were to deliver early. In addition, I'm taking Brethine to reduce the contractions I'm having. In two weeks they will repeat the FFN test and see if the results have changed. Fortunately I haven't been required to be on bed rest, but I'm not allowed to lift anything heavy which includes Schaeffer. It'll be tough not lifting Little Big Man since he still needs help into his high chair, into his crib, and up and down steps.

The initial reason for yesterday's OB appt was to take a look at Griffin's kidney's again. He still has more fluid than normal and so we will continue to monitor that situation. Dr. B was very reassuring in explaining that sometimes babies get blockages for various reasons which would make fluid build up in his kidneys. However, he does not have so much fluid that he is at risk of having permanent kidney damage. Nevertheless, Dr. B wants to keep a close eye on things. We'll be visiting Dr. B in two weeks for another FFN test, and in four weeks for another ultrasound to check on kidneys.

BJ had plans this weekend to go to a men's conference in Woodstock, GA. Those plans got cancelled. I feel so bad for him. I know he was really looking forward to getting to take that trip with six of his buddies and hear Johnny Hunt speak at First Baptist Woodstock. But he decided it was best to stay home and take care of me, Griffin, Lily, and Schaeffer. He's such a good Daddy. Right now he and the kiddos are at Bounce USA having a fun time and giving me a little break.

The Nursery Has Begun

Turns out we owe taxes, and quite a bit. I'm thankful that my sugar daddy brings home loads of cash (that was supposed to be funny), but it sure does get painful at tax time around here. So anyway, Griffin's nursery is going to be scaled back. I can still acheive my plans for the room but I'll have to do it with much cheaper furniture. I really like the furniture but I'm not sure it'll be the quality that I was hoping for and last until Griffin leaves for college. Here's the crib and here's the changing table/dresser combo. Both pieces will be in the dark espresso color as pictured. I think it'll look very nice with the blue stripe bedding I've chosen from PB. I ordered the changing table yesterday because I saw that it was out of stock at Walmart and I feared it would go out of stock at Target as well. But the crib is available at Target stores so I will save on shipping. Right after Christmas I picked up two of these bookcases while they were on clearance. They will serve as toy and book storage in Griffin's room. I bought four canvas storage cubes to place on the shelves. I feel like I've finally gotten smart and have decided to incorporate lots of toy storage into his room. So we have three pieces of furniture purchased and hopefully over the next 10-12 weeks we'll have Griffin's room complete with decor and all. I will definitely post some photos as the nursery comes together.

Baby Appointment Update

All is good with Baby Griffin. Today I am 25 weeks and 2 days - just 14 1/2 weeks to go, unless he decides to come early like my other two and then it would be just 11-12 weeks to go. I had a bit of a blood pressure scare today. I developed preeclampsia with Lily at 36 weeks, but then she was born at 37 1/2 weeks so it all worked out okay. Today when the nurse took my bp, she told me that I needed to lie down on my left side for 5 minutes and she would check me again. I thought "Oh no! Here we go again!" But after 5 minutes on my left side my bp returned to normal (120/70 from 150/85). Because it returned to normal Dr. B was not concerned. His explanation was that sometimes bp elevates for various reasons, but like always he'll be keeping an eye on my bp for the remainder of the pregnancy.

We return for another ultrasound in 3 weeks (Feb. 5) to check Griffin's kidney's again. At the 20-week ultrasound he had fluid in both kidneys. The nurse informed me that it was very common at 20 weeks, but that he would need to be checked again to ensure the fluid was gone. Griffin's heartbeat was good and strong today and his growth is consistent with 25 weeks. I'm optimistic that the kidney issue will be, or is already, resolved. I'm excited to get another ultrasound since I've never had an ultrasound past 20 weeks. It'll be fun to see Griffin again and to see how much he has grown.

And the name is...

...Griffin James. This is Baby Three's name (unless God reveals otherwise). Even if someone were to tell me that they know someone with that name, or have a third cousin who was a complete geek with that name, or was considering that name for their baby, or that they just don't like it, there's a good possibility that this name will not be changing. In our home our babies' names have to go through rigorous testing. Unlike my grandparents who made the silly agreement that any son would be named by Grandpa and any daughter would be named by Grandma. They had four sons. My poor Grandma got the short end on that agreement! Our name testing looks like this:

1. Both BJ and I have to agree 100% on the name. If it's not 100% from both of us, the name is immediately tossed out. We've had several of those, even though they were all pretty good names, except William Wallace (BJ's first choice).
2. The name has no other associations or connections, such as, friends' children, or not-so-fond people from our past. We both liked the name Ian for a long time, until we ate out at a restaurant and the server's name was Ian. BJ thought he was a little "fruity" and so that's the association BJ had with the name Ian ever since.
3. The name has to be a good fit for our baby all the way up through adulthood.
4. The initials cannot spell something, and especially not something silly like my best friend from high school - E.L.F. Nor can they stand for something like my brother M.F. - poor guy.
5. For boys, the name cannot sound like a frat-daddy or quarterback. We're not opposed to fraternities nor football, but I guess we both have some negative associations with frat guys and quarterback types. For girls, the name cannot sound remotely like a stage name.
6. The name has to be prayed over and affirmed, or not dissaffirmed, by God.

Griffin James just feels right now that I've had the chance to say the name out loud a few hundred times. The name makes me smile when I look down at my round tummy and think about the little guy in there named Griffin. And perhaps from my perspective as mommy, that's the real test of a good name for this baby.

Name Game, Nursery, Etc.

Baby Three may finally have a name, well, at least a first name...I'll reveal when I get the okay from Daddy. We need to let it simmer for a few days to make sure we really like it. I think it'll be a very appropriate name for a handsome little guy. We're also taking bets to see if Baby Three will have blue or brown eyes. History shows that very dark brown is the standard around here. However, I have blue eyes and there might be a very slim chance this little guy could have blue eyes, unless BJ is carrying the genotype BB and not Bb (remember the Punnett square).

We've begun Phase I of a multi-step process for getting Baby Three's nursery ready...

Phase I: Clear out boxes and random furniture so the room looks less like a storage unit.
Phase II: BJ will be adding additional insulation to the room's walls so Baby Three doesn't turn into a popsicle (the room is situated over the garage and is sandwiched between two storage spaces that lacks appropriate insulation to keep the temperature regulated).
Phase III: Purchase baby furniture, bedding and decor. This phase must be done after tax season because there's a good chance we'll be broke when we pay our '08 taxes and Baby Three will just have to sleep on the floor...only kidding, maybe...
Phase IV: Set up furniture and decorate room.
Phase V: Wash, sort and arrange Schaeffer's hand-me-downs into Baby Three's closet and dresser.
Phase VI: Give birth and enjoy months of sleepless nights!!

And on the third month there was a nursery

This is sort of the direction I think I'm headed with Baby Three's room. (Baby Three still remains completely nameless). The work begins now that we are through the busiest part of the holidays, and BJ is still home on vacation until Jan. 5. Hopefully I can get most of the furniture and bedding ordered over the next week. And then we will clean out the little guy's room,which is now packed full of boxes which are packed full of stuff that needs to be sorted and re-packed for storage. There's a lot of work to be done over the next 3 1/2 months...so now the work and the countdown begin!

Christmas "Peared" Back

BJ and the kids got the tree up and decorated tonight. I say "BJ and the kids" because I had no part in it this year. I'm trying really hard to keep a positive outlook on life, but it's getting increasingly hard right now. I'm very grateful for how God has blessed my life. It just seems like sometimes I have to share my burdens so that I can move on.

I just visited my OB this afternoon after having a week of unbearable back pains. I've never had back pains like this in my life. They are almost debilitating. After the nurse practitioner checked and ruled out a bladder and/or kidney infection, early labor signs, and pelvic inflammation, her conclusion was that my hips are separating, the baby is laying really low since this is my third pregnancy, and I'm experiencing lower lumbar strain. In addition, I'm not resting enough or drinking enough fluids.

I left the appointment this evening with no helpful tips or meds. Instead my prescription was to take a spa day, find someone else to lift my 18-month old, and drink no less than 8 ounces of water/fluid per day to help Baby Three float a little better. The nurse said I looked "dried out." I admit my skin looks a little flaky, but whose doesn't this time of year with the cold and wind? But then she explained that she wasn't talking about my dry, flaky skin. Rather she was referring to how my veins and lips looked. I have to admit, I've been neglecting the fluid intake recently. When I thought back on my day, I had only drank half a cup of coffee in the morning and a few sips of water during the day. It was already 5 p.m. and I'd only had about 5 ounces of fluids. I started feeling like a very negligent pregnant woman. How could I neglect my own body, and therefore neglect the very dependent growing fetus?!

After the appointment I then realized I may have to deal with this back pain for the remainder of the pregnancy - about 4 more months. I vowed from then on to drink more water, let BJ do as much around the house as he wants without me feeling guilty while watching from the couch, and to not stress out over getting the Christmas tree decorated or cookies baked, which I can't eat anyway. Which brings me to another point...I'm still able to control my gestational diabetes with diet right now. The few times I splurged and ate small amounts of dessert, my glucose levels were elevated. Dr. B reviewed my glucose readings today and instructed me to start sticking my finger 4 times per day instead of just 2 because of those darn elevated readings. So I guess I'll have to refrain from any sweets for the remainder of the holidays. That has been tough because everyone has given us chocolate in all shapes and forms. It all looks so yummy and enticing. But for the sake of Baby Three, no desserts for me!

The tree turned out just lovely this evening even though we didn't use all the ornaments and decorations I would normally use. We opted to hang only unbreakable ornaments so that the kids could help and so that they could touch the tree without Mommy wanting to chop off their arms. Turns out that the tree is covered in nothing more than plastic apples and pears. I guess you could call it our "peared" back Christmas 2008.

P.S. And, Schaeffer has had a fever the past two days. He has definitely wanted me to pick him up and hold him a lot more this week. I'm sure that's not helping my lower lumbar strain one tiny bit.