It's Been A While!

I've been a pretty poor blogger lately, both here and at Catholic Working Mother. I'm hoping to change that, though. Not that I necessarily have any more time, but I do miss blogging. I've been doing some creative fiction writing as an outlet, which helps, it's not the same.

Brief update for those of you who don't follow me on social media:

- The kids started school on August 3rd. I now have a 6th grader, a 3rd grader, a 1st grader, and a PRESCHOOLER! (See next bullet.)

- I had Peter tested by AZ Early Intervention for a speech delay last year, and he's been receiving therapy for several months, with little progress. (He hasn't had as many sessions as I'd hoped, due to illness and other factors.) Well, once he's three he "graduates" from Early Intervention and needs to receive services from the public school system, so this summer we went through the process of getting him tested again.

He was diagnosed with a moderate speech and language delay, and as such he qualifies for preschool through the public school system. He receives speech therapy while there. So he rides the school bus every day (we had to set up the bus rides due to my work schedule) and attends school from 8:15-10:45. So far he seems to enjoy it very much!

Poor Gabriel is the odd man out this year, but he'll start kindergarten next year.

- Our vacation this summer was an epic road trip to and from North Dakota to attend a family reunion for my mother's side of the family. We took four days to drive from AZ to ND, and three days to drive back, with about a week between in ND. Amazingly, we had no major mishaps. It was exhausting, but we had a lot of fun and made some great memories, and it was great to spend some time with my family. I met a few relatives I hadn't yet had the chance to meet, and saw many that I hadn't seen since we left ND.

- I'm becoming the employee of a new company, but my job is still exactly the same, as is my office. Long story short, my parent company decided to "divest" the division I work for, and it was sold to a private equity firm. It's not altogether dissimilar to the acquisition we went through in 2012.

Thanks to that firm's investment, our division is incorporating as a new company effective September 1 (the new name isn't public knowledge yet - although the divestiture itself is - so I can't blog it quite yet). Good news is that my benefits don't seem to be changing much, I still get to keep all my service years and, so far, I get to keep my flexible schedule and telecommute most of the time. Here's hoping it stays that way.

- And the biggest news of all:

Our newest son or daughter, due to arrive sometime in January 2017 

Meet Baby #10, a.k.a. Baby Snitch (so nicknamed by a FB friend at 10 weeks, after the babysizer.com observation that our baby was as big as a Golden Snitch). 

For obvious reasons, this pregnancy has been fraught with anxiety. I had repeated pregnancy loss testing back in December, and it yielded no abnormal results, with one exception -- I am heterozygous for the MTHFR A1298C gene mutation. It's not certain if this particular mutation causes the inability to process folic acid that the other MTHFR mutations do (there was no evidence of that from other tests), but just to be safe I started taking a prenatal vitamin (this one) with methylated folate instead of folic acid. I also called my doctor's office and had bloodwork done right away. 

My first two HCG results were a little lower than they like to see (doubling time was 62 hours) and my progesterone was a tad low (20), so my midwife started me on progesterone supplements immediately. Both numbers markedly improved, and at the suggestion of my midwife I went in for weekly ultrasounds from weeks 8-11 (with the exception of week 11 -- the ultrasound machine was in use that day so my midwife tried the doppler instead, and found the baby's heartbeat immediately). Each time, baby looked great - strong heartbeat and appropriate growth.

I elected to do the NT test at 12 weeks. Normally we eschew most prenatal testing, but this time around I wanted it -- maybe the test would give us some clue about what went wrong in the event that we had another loss. We went into the test with some trepidation, as it was at our last two 12 week appointments with Francis and Jude wherein their deaths were diagnosed. 

However, as you can see from the above picture, Baby Snitch looked wonderful. S/he was moving around, waving his/her arms, and had a nice strong heartbeat. Even better, all measurements looked great and there's no evidence of any chromosomal abnormalities from either the ultrasound or the blood test.

I'm 16 weeks now (almost 17) and everything seems to be going well so far. We've heard his/her heartbeat via Doppler several times, which has been reassuring. I have his/her anatomy ultrasound on September 8. It'll be a Level II ultrasound because I'm technically AMA (advanced maternal age), and also because of the prior history of birth defects (Peter's clubfoot). As is our custom, we won't be finding out his/her sex, but I'm eager to see him/her again. 

I'm hoping for a healthy baby -- we have a 96% chance that this baby won't have clubfoot, which is pretty good, but there's always that 4% chance that he or she will. It won't be the end of the world if he or she does have clubfoot, and we'll be much more prepared to deal with it this time around, but I'm really hoping for a newborn period that doesn't involve weekly casting appointments and surgery at 8 weeks old. It made Peter's newborn period rather stressful. 

I'm praying that there won't be any other birth defects (although I'm thinking anything major would have been seen at the NT test). But if there are, s/he will still be welcomed joyfully, of course, but I think all mothers hope for a healthy baby. 

The kids are very excited about their new sibling, although Ellie is apprehensive about the possibility of having to share her birthday (January 13). My EDD is January 23, so Baby could very well decide to come on her birthday, but I think we're both hoping s/he will choose a different day. Still, Collin and his youngest brother have the same birthday (December 24) so we know from experience that it's not the end of the world if they do end up sharing. 

Even though my pregnancy has gone very well so far, we're not out of the woods yet, and my pregnancy loss support groups have taught me that late losses can still occur. I'm striving to stay hopeful and to enjoy every moment of this baby's life, no matter how short it may be. Your prayers are appreciated! 

Why I've Been Quiet Lately

It's not just the typical busy life of working full time plus five kids... it's not just the post-vacation scrambling to catch up... it's not even working on my new blog, set to launch on Tuesday (feast day of St. Gianna Beretta Molla!).

Nope, there's another reason entirely that blogging has had to take a backseat...

Yes, that's right... as those of you who are my FB friends already know, Wahlund Baby #6 is due December 12, 2015. We haven't come up with a nickname for him/her yet. (I suggested Lupe or Guadalupe, since Baby is due on the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, but Collin nixed it.) 

I've been struggling with pregnancy-induced nausea for the past several weeks (I refuse to call it "morning sickness" because for me it's 24/7), especially since I won't take Zofran this time around. 

Last week was really bad... I threw up twice (once at work) and felt horrible the rest of the time. I guess that's better than non-stop vomiting and a trip to the ER (as experienced with pregnancies #1 and #3), but still, it was pretty hard to function. I decided to try several different solutions in hopes that something would help. 

Although I still have some bad days, I think I mostly have a handle on it. Part of me is scared that it means imminent miscarriage, but it could also be the changes I've made. In hopes that it is the latter and not the former, here is what I've done:

1. My doctor gave me a perscription for Diclegis (unisom + vitamin b6), which is the only category A drug that is FDA-approved for pregnancy nausea, and I've been taking two at bedtime for the last two weeks.
2. I'm getting more magnesium. I tried soaking in a tub of warm water + 2 cups Epsom salts (aka magnesium sulfate) for over 45 minutes, and the next day I felt so much better. I picked up some magnesium supplements in pill form and am taking those every evening before bed (and soaking in the tub whenever I can, too!).
3. I have started following this diet, as recommended by Jen Fulwiler: no processed food, no sugar, no grains or vegetable oils. It's been a struggle but I'm mostly sticking with it. 

I don't know what it is that is working, but SOMETHING is. I can manage the nausea without Zofran, which I wasn't sure would be possible. Praise God.

My first prenatal appointment is May 4. Please join me in praying that the ultrasound will show a living, thriving baby!

Tiebreaker is here!

And the winner is.... Team Blue!

Peter David Wahlund

10/7/2013, 4:27am

9lbs 0oz, 20.5 inches

Super short version of the birth story: Holy sh*t.

Short version: woke up to hard contractions at 3am. Water broke in the car. Got to the hospital at 4:15 after dropping off kids. Midwife didn't make it in time so he was delivered by a nurse. 

We're all doing great. :) His feet are definitely clubbed but otherwise he's 100% healthy.

Longer version coming soon!

No baby yet

...in case anyone was wondering. 

Another Peek at Tiebreaker

This morning, I had a Level II ultrasound at a local perinatalogist's practice (as I mentioned last week, my OB referred me for the ultrasound so we could make extra sure that Tiebreaker's club feet were his/her only issue).

The ultrasound technician was very kind, very thorough, and very accommodating about my desire not to know the baby's sex. I wrestled with the dilemma of finding out his/her sex versus not finding out for a few days and ultimately decided that I want to make this pregnancy as similar to the other kids' as possible -- years down the road I don't want him/her feeling like s/he was an exception to our gender surprise tradition just because of his/her birth defect.

I've never had an ultrasound that was so detailed or so long before, so in that regard it was a wonderful experience. The baby most definitely has bilateral club feet, but otherwise s/he is perfect! It was a relief to find out that there are no other indications of a larger syndrome (spina bifida, etc.); the club feet appear to be entirely idiopathic. S/he was measuring exactly on target (22w1d), weighs an estimated 1lb 1oz, and had a heart rate of 138. Everything looks good on my end as well -- placenta is high and anterior and my cervix is nice and long.

And now... pictures! (The tech put them all on disc for me, so I have over 50 of them. I've never had this many pictures of my unborn baby before! I've restrained myself from sharing all of them, as the shots of his/her kidneys and umbilical cord insertion probably aren't all that interesting to anyone else.)
 

His/her sweet little profile, with a little hand up by his/her face.

Another profile shot. His/her profile looks a lot like William's did, I think, although I'll have to compare pictures to be sure.

Full body shot! I love how the tech labeled it "BABY." Clump of cells, my butt.

This was the "money shot" in terms of confirming his/her club feet. You can clearly see how his/her feet turn in at the ankles.

3-D shot of baby's feet! The tech took a few of them for Dr. Segal to see, although she couldn't get a really good one because Tiebreaker had started kicking a lot at this point and didn't want to hold still for a good shot.

Cute little baby foot with wiggly toes :)

Six Words I Never Thought I'd Hear

"Something is wrong with your baby."

My 20-week anatomy ultrasound on Friday went, I thought, perfectly fine. We had William and Elanor there, and the tech showed us the baby's heart, brain, and spine, and pronounced all of them perfect. The kids were fascinated with the images on the screen. William asked if the baby was a boy or a girl, and we told him we didn't want to know because we liked the surprise.

In hindsight, when the tech measured the baby's femur he didn't say much and changed the subject (I think he asked me if I was hoping for a boy or a girl), but at the time I didn't notice.

He stated Baby was measuring right on target, printed out some pictures for us, and mentioned he'd need a few minutes to prepare the report before giving it to my OB. All fine, all routine. 

When we were called back into my OB's office, it did seem to take a little longer than usual for him to come in, but I dismissed that as well. A busy day for him, I thought. Maybe he'd had to deliver a baby or two that morning and was behind schedule as a result.

When Dr. N. did come in, it wasn't with the big smile I was accustomed to seeing from him. He glanced at the kids, who were waiting in the corner of the room with Collin, and hesitated for just an instant. Then he sat down and looked right at me.

"We need to talk about the ultrasound," he said.

I didn't understand why he looked so serious. Surely everything was fine. Wasn't he here to tell me that everything looked great, as he had twice before, during my pregnancies with Violet and Gabriel?

He looked me in the eye, making sure he had my attention. "The baby has club feet."

My first reaction was denial. No. Not my baby. Everything had looked fine. The tech hadn't indicated anything was amiss. He was wrong. He had to be wrong. 

"What?" I stammered.

As Dr. N explained that the results of the ultrasound showed bilateral club feet, my first thought was of Monica and her baby Roslyn. And now Dr. N was telling me that the same thing had happened to my baby. I was having trouble wrapping my mind around it. I'd had four physically healthy kids and had expected that #5 would be equally healthy. But s/he wasn't.

A larger version of the picture that shows one of Tiebreaker's clubbed feet

We talked about what the treatment would involve, and my mind was in a whirl. Casts. Braces. Possible surgery if the baby was in the 5% for whom casting and braces didn't work. Dr. N inquired if we'd found out the baby's gender, and we said no. He said, "I was just curious, as boys are twice as likely to have club foot than girls."

We spent the last few minutes of the appointment talking about my health -- my recent bout with bronchitis in particular -- but I was having trouble focusing on me.

I spent the rest of the evening alternately crying, asking for prayers via social media, and researching the baby's condition. Although I told him he didn't have to, Collin managed to get the next day (Saturday) off work so I wouldn't be alone. That evening, he booked us a hotel suite in North Phoenix (thanks to an accumulation of reward points from Hotels.com, we had a free night coming to us) and we spent the weekend swimming with the kids and talking about the baby's diagnosis. It was exactly what we needed to clear our minds and de-stress.

It's been several days since Tiebreaker's diagnosis, and I'm coming to terms with the news. First and foremost, it could be a lot worse and I'm so glad it's not. My friend Stephanie only had a few precious hours with her son Peter. I was heartbroken for Michelle when her baby Gregory passed away at 19 weeks gestation. I've prayed fervently for Sarah and her son Henry, who has spina bifida. In comparison, I have an incredibly easy lot.

Now that a few days have passed, I've been able to tally up more positives. Tiebreaker's condition likely won't require surgery. It's 100% treatable and 100% curable. The casting process may be uncomfortable for him/her, but it won't be painful. S/he won't require any medication. It's very unlikely that s/he'll have any developmental delays as a result. S/he could even turn out to be another Troy Aikman, Mia Hamm, or Kristi Yamaguchi.

Club feet? What club feet?!

I have the best maternity leave situation of my entire employment career, thanks to my generous employer's short-term disability insurance. I have 12 weeks off, 100% paid. Because I won't lose my income, we plan to keep Gabriel and Violet in daycare, which will allow me to take Tiebreaker to doctor's appointments without any additional kids tagging along. The baby should be entirely out of casts and into the brace by the time I return to work.

I've ordered The Parents' Guide to Clubfoot, and I've already set up a consultation appointment at Phoenix Children's Hospital for August 8. We'll be seeing the specialist recommended for our area on the Ponseti International website. 

As far as I can tell, there isn't a patron saint for people with club feet, but if I had to nominate one I'd choose Saint Alphonsa, India's first female saint. (One of the miracles that led to her canonization was the healing of a child with club foot in 1999!)

I have really felt the support of all those praying for us these last few days. Monica has been a tremendous help and doesn't seem to mind my pestering her with e-mails multiple times per day. My fear has ebbed and my confidence has grown, and I know that's due to the support of all of my friends and prayer warriors.

Tiebreaker's little kicks and jabs are getting stronger by the day. There's one thing I know for sure -- our baby is a fighter, and s/he's not going to let a little thing like a birth defect keep him/her down.

Saint Alphonsa, pray for us!

Happy Easter, Happy News

Happy Easter! Christ is risen!

Our holiday was extra special this year, because we shared the joyful news with our families that our fifth child is due to arrive somewhere around October 8!

Here is a sneak peek at Tiebreaker (our pet name for #5), from my ultrasound at 7w6d:

Thankfully, s/he had a strong heartbeat. We had a scare early on in my pregnancy caused by five days of red bleeding and clots. I had three blood tests to check my HCG levels (all doubled nicely), and then this ultrasound. Yesterday, at 12w6d, Collin and I were able to hear the baby's heartbeat via Doppler for the first time (153 bpm).

The news was received by our families with much surprise and some concern, so I've compiled a brief FAQ to answer many of the questions we've already been asked (and some I expect have been asked behind our backs).

Q: Five kids? Are you crazy??

A: Yes!

Q: Where will you put them all?

A: In bedrooms, with bunk beds eventually. If necessary we can also pitch tents in the backyard. Arizona's climate makes that a viable option.

Q: Was this planned?

A: When that becomes your business, I'll let you know.

Q: Don't you know what causes that?!

A: Yes, and we're very good at it.

Q: Are you trying to overpopulate the Earth?

A: No, just outnumber the idiots.

Q: Haven't you ever heard of contraception?

A: Of course we have. We simply choose not to use it. We've very pro-choice in that regard.

Q: You're done after this one, right?

A: We figure we'll stop once we get an ugly kid. Hasn't happened yet.

Q: Are you going to get fixed?/Is Collin going to get fixed?

A: No; neither of us are broken. In fact, our reproductive systems work perfectly!

Q: How are you going to afford five kids?

A: We plan to write a best-selling book in which we demonstrate how to deflect rude questions from nosy people. We've had a lot of experience so far.

Any other questions? Please feel free to ask! I can't guarantee you'll get the answer you want, though. :)

Twenty-week ultrasound pictures

Most of the u/s was in 2-D, but the tech switched to 3-D for the face shot! Isn't s/he adorable? 

Profile + belly shot. Baby was measuring 19w6d (3 days ahead), and his/her estimated weight is 11oz.

Profile shot. S/he was dancing away the whole time, but the tech (and later my doctor) verified that everything looks perfect!

A close-up of the head. His/her profile looks similar to William's, I think, but also a little like Violet's... I'll have to post comparison pics later.

Baby foot! We brought Elanor with to the ultrasound and she was fascinated. She asked the tech if he could make this shot even bigger, and he said, "No, baby's foot is about the size of my thumbnail right now, so this is as big as I can make the picture."

We have a baby!!

Only one, thank goodness. :) S/he looks great and is measuring spot-on (8w4d). Strong, beautiful heartbeat (don't know bpm).

Pics of Senor/ita Cuatro:

Close up. S/he had a nice strong heartbeat!

Here's an overview with a close-up in the lower right corner. We could see him/her waving his/her little arms!

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Easter Joy

Happy Easter! He is risen! I hope all of you had a blessed day.

I have two wonderful pieces of news to share.

1. My stepsister Kari and her husband Garett are the proud adoptive parents of a baby BOY! Carter Garett was born yesterday, 5lbs 13oz. I have a picture and he is just adorable.

2. Collin and I are expecting our own bundle of joy next December. (December 16, officially.) The kids are excited for their new sibling, and we're excited to get a new baby for Christmas! My first ultrasound is May 10, so stay tuned for updates on baby Wahlund's progress.

Lastly, thank you very much to Kelsey at Kreated by Kelsey for the new blog design, just in time for Easter! I absolutely love it! Kelsey was a joy to work with and I highly recommend her to anyone looking for a blog makeover.