"Congrats...your having a Toddler."

Is what my midwife told me today after reviewing the ultrasound results!  Today's appointment was a "trend tracking" ultrasound.  And all this means is that we take another peak inside and take measurements to see if Jax is indeed growing ahead of schedule.  Today's measurements along with those taken at the next ultrasound appt (march 5th) will give us the information needed to make the best delivery decision possible.  

Today Jaxon is weighing in a 5lbs 11 ounces (at 32 weeks gestation he should be weighing about 4 1/2 lbs.)  His head is measuring at 36weeks 1day, his midsection was barely ahead at 33weeks 2days, and his limbs were at 33 weeks.  What all this means is that he is still measuring ahead of schedule--with an average of 35weeks 6days in development.  

And its because of that large head measurement that Renee (the midwife) is still leaning towards a scheduled induction or ultrasound.  The bummer is that we are still in limbo as to exact dates and final decisions.  What will happen next is that I will continue to meet with her-every 2 weeks-and then every week- to keep track of my weight, growth, contractions, symptoms etc.  And then after the 36 week ultrasound-we will know whether we are having a baby by scheduled appt within the next 2 weeks...or whether mother nature will get to do her job.

So sorry that I don't have more information for you all...its a huge source of frustration for me as well! 

hope all is well with you-

much love, 

Justin, Robin and Jaxon (who wouldn't wake up to take good ultrasound pics...)

Mom-31...Jaxon-34

weeks that is...Today was another Dr's appointment. Our appointment that had been scheduled for last Friday was bumped by an emergency c-section (which is why there was no post last week...sorry if you missed us)  But what we did find out today is that Jaxon is still measuring ahead of schedule-this was done by measuring my belly this time, no ultrasound today.  The belly measurements are taken from the top of the pubic bone to the fundus (the top of the uterus).  This measurement should be as many centimeters as weeks of gestation.  So I have been pregnant for 31 weeks and should measure 31 cm.  However today I was measuring 34+ cm.  Justin and I spent a lot of time with the midwife today picking her brain on what she thinks is going to happen delivery wise.  She told us that we would continue to track Jax' growth through measurements and ultrasounds (we have an ultrasound next Thursday and another in 3 weeks).  The next ultrasound will give us his "growth trend" which just means it will tell us if he is continuing to grow at the same rate as he has been.  The BIG one is going to be the ultrasound that will be done at around 35 weeks.  This will be the deciding picture.  If at this point in time he is still measuring ahead of schedule and by all measurements appears to be weighing in at 7-8 lbs, she will strongly recommend a scheduled induction at 37 weeks (close to the 10th of March) or we can opt for a c-section at 38 weeks (the week of the 16th).  She believes that this little boy will be coming sooner rather than later!! Which means that we have about 6 weeks until baby day!

Justin and I are researching and weighing our options as we try to determine the path that will lead to the safest delivery of our boy.  And to put your minds at ease about the possibility of him coming early--babies born between 37-40 weeks are considered full term babies.  Those that are born between 34-37 weeks generally do not have any long term health issues and most won't spend any time (or very little) in a neonatal unit.  

Just a little Jax FYI- if he were truly a 34 week baby, he would be weighing in at 4 3/4 lbs (but he's already surpassed that) and measuring at about 18 inches.  His central nervous system and lungs continue to mature as he puts on more weight.  He is supposed to be gaining about an ounce a day at this point in the pregnancy!

We'll keep you posted as we can! Look for ultrasound pictures next week!

much love, 

Justin, Robin and Jaxon

Jax' Shack

I know that I didn't post on Jax' development this week...to be quiet honest...I'm just a little bit confused as to where he is developmentally.  Is he 32 weeks?? or 33?? possibly 35?  I really dunno.  So I decided that I would take a break from the medical and post a little on the fluffier side. (at least until I  get some better answers on Friday)

The most exciting thing is that we are almost done with the boy's room!  Justin laid the baseboard and chair railing yesterday and then we took to putting up decorations/pics and arranging the furniture! We both really love the way it is turning out! There are still a few finishing touches to be made (hamper, trash can, The Chair, another side table...the list goes on) but I wanted to share with you now!  The best part about all of the decorations is that they are things Justin and I had collected pre-Us and pre-Jax.  Many of the items are from our travels and carry fond memories with them.

Thats really all I wanted to share this week with you--Enjoy the pics and hopefully everyone has been enjoying their weekend!

Much love, 

Justin, Robin and Jax

***a side note--this kid seems to LOVE classical music...as I sit here listening to a great classical CD...he is bouncing (quiet literally) all over the place!

Huh??? 32 weeks??

Happy Friday all! Hopefully you've enjoyed a quick week-and if not...TGIF!  

Yesterday was our regularly scheduled 2 week Dr appt along with an ultrasound to see how Mr. Jaxon has been growing.  And what we found out is that the boy is definitely growing! (this is where it gets a little confusing, so I'll try my best to clear it up--however I was probably the most confused, so no promises!)

The ultrasound tech takes measurements of Jaxon's major body parts (head, belly, legs...) and the average of those measurements give us a rough estimate of His development and fetal age. (which is different than the gestational age, which is how long I've been pregnant.)  The last time we visited Jax, he was measuring about 3 weeks ahead of the pregnancy (when I was 24 weeks and he jumped to 27 weeks)  He continued the growing trend this time as well.  While I am still stuck back at 28 weeks pregnant--our guy is measuring at 32 weeks in development-measuring at 19 inches and weighing 4lbs! (and his head alone measured at 34 weeks!!! Thank you Simmons' for that one!)  This all to say that he is about a month ahead of schedule growth wise and our midwife is expecting a BIG baby.  She does not want to change my actual due date (I know... there have been soo many) from the 30th of March because the first ultrasound (at 8 weeks) is by far the most accurate as far as pregnancy length and fetal age at that point.  As we get farther along, babies-like "real people"-grow at different rates. (margin of error is about +/- 5 ounces right now.)  

So the plan of action is:  We will keep monitoring his growth with yet another ultrasound (how lucky are we that we get to take so many peaks at our boy before meeting him) to determine if his growth rate will continue or if it is just a spurt.  More than likely he will continue on this pattern.  If that is the case, I will then be induced once I hit term.  Term pregnancy is considered anywhere from 37-40 weeks.  The reason for induction at 37 weeks is that first of all--he will be smaller in size for a natural delivery and the rates of shoulder dystocia (where they get stuck) and breathing problems go up when babies are bigger and get to marinate longer.  Induction will be the safer route for the both of us.  If March 30 is considered "term" or 40 weeks- then we can expect that Jaxon will make his arrival sometime in the first half of March (around the 9th).  That's a whole lot sooner than it sounds!!

I've added some of the great close ups we got of Jax this time around--he IS his father's (ok and mother's) son and Loves to mug it up for the camera! The tech kept commenting on how much he likes his picture to be taken..=)  Hopefully the pictures are much more clear thanks to a wonderful Christmas gift-new computer and scanner! (thanks Bob and Kelly) Enjoy!!!

much love,

Justin, Robin, and Jaxon (aka The Beast!)

Got Wrinkles?

Here we are in week 30...with only 10 weeks (or so) to go! I can't believe that things have gone by so quickly-and that there is so very little time left until we all get to meet this little man!  Just thinking about it leaves me speechless...(hard to imagine me speechless...I know)

During this week-our guy has grown to anywhere between 15.7 and 17 inches long!  This puts his height within 3-4 inches of his final length! Not much more to go baby!  He should be weighing in at somewhere near the 3 pound mark (the book says like a head of cabbage...but really...thats a whole lotta cabbage!)  He is swimming in about a pint and a half of amniotic fluid which will continue to decrease as Jax continues to grow and take up more room.  His eye sight, which will continue to develop after birth, allows him to be sensitive to light-and even though he is able to open his eyes now, he spends most of his time with them closed (just like after birth).  Jaxon's first view of the world will be a blurry one, with his vision only registering objects within a few inches of his face (20/400 vision).  The big growth this week is happening in the boys brain.  This week it begins to "look like" a brain.  The brain begins taking on the characteristic grooves and wrinkles of a mature brain.  These wrinkles are what allow for future expansion of brain tissue as he continues to hit milestones.  These grooves and wrinkles also allow his brain to start taking on tasks that have been delegated to other parts of the body.  Among other things, Jaxon is now able to regulate his own temperature-along with the help of the baby fat supply he's working on.  As a result, he'll begin shedding the lanugo(fine downy hair) that has been aiding in keeping body temperatures up.

Dr's Updates- We were finally able to nail down a pediatrician this week.  A task that was much more difficult than I had anticipated.  We won't get a chance to meet face to face with Dr. Jones until Jax's delivery (which I've found to be standard practice now...) but I've heard great things about him.  

We also are now on a 2 week schedule with the midwife until 36 weeks...at which time we'll begin our weekly appointments.  I am way done with doctors appointments!  Our next appointment has an ultrasound attached to it--yay! More pics!!  Our midwife wants to keep a close eye on his growth as she thinks that he may be a much bigger baby than expected (and I had hoped--ouch)  By keeping an eye on his size, she will be able to ensure that I won't be delivering a 10lb baby (thankful for that!)  

We will keep you posted!

Much love,

Justin, Robin and Jaxon

Welcome to the Third Trimester!! weeks 28 & 29

Since I am a little late getting out this week's blog (seriously time for a new computer...gggrrr) and I know that next week is going to be full of Holiday festivities-I've decided to double up our information. Here we go...
Week 28- Research says that our guy is anywhere between 14 1/2 inches and 16 inches long! He should be weighing in at approximately 2 1/4- 2 1/2 pounds. However, since he was 2 lbs 6 ounces at the last ultrasound--I'm pretty sure he's over the half pound mark (yikes) His blinking little eyelids are now open and covered with eyelashes! As a result of his functional oculars-he is more sensitive to drastic light changes. For instance, he may be able to tell the difference if I am in a bright room-naked bellied- as opposed to with a shirt covering or a dark room. ***Justin and I did test this out the other night with a flash light on the belly--he gave some pretty serious kicks and then we stopped cause we felt guilty blinding our child ;)*** This week, the Buddy Boy also starts getting some quality zzz's, with the REM sleep he's now getting. (dreaming in-utero!) Most importantly, his lungs are near full maturity! (insert deep SIGH of relief here!)
Week 29- This week the boy is about 15-17 inches tall and is tipping the scales at 2 1/2-3 lbs! (note: they've stopped comparing to fruit...we're talking tri-tip now! kidding) He is about 3 or so inches away from his final birth length but still has much more weight to gain (ugh...) In the next 11 weeks he may double or triple his current weight. (seriously?? no room at the inn!) This weight gain will also take an astronomical amount of my calcium to deposit into this little boy's bones--a whopping 250 milligrams a day! As he's marinating and plumping up, Jaxon will continue to practice his life skills-sucking, muscle coordination, breathing etc. And the scariest fact of the week; His head continues to grow this week to accommodate his expanding brain! I can't even comment further on this occurrence.... :0
We are looking forward to our week of family fun and seeing all of you! And if we aren't lucky enough to see you face to face between now and then...
Merry Christmas!
much love,
Justin, Robin and Jaxon

These doors are CLOSED!

We just got back from the perinatologists (one of the most atrocious places ever...) and got the good news that there is no opening here! I've gotten the go ahead from the Dr that I can go back to my life--with a strong caution to be careful and not wear myself out. I will go back to my regularly scheduled appts unless my contractions increase in either severity or frequency.
Thank you all for the prayers, love and positive thoughts you were sending in our direction--I know they made a difference!
much love,
Justin, Robin and Jaxon