I'm so grateful for people whose jobs really make my life easier. Their entire work day is focused on how to improve the function of the facility in which they are at. To illustrate, I will share my experiences the last two days:
First of all, as a pregnant woman I am extremely dangerous.
So dangerous in fact, that the security guard at my husband's med school won't let me walk through the building to escape the rain because I don't have an ID badge. I'm almost 8 months pregnant, in flip flops, its pouring rain outside...but like I said, I don't have an ID badge and so no access for me. Ben, a devoted student, was at my side with his badge, and tried to convince the guard that I was his wife and we were just trying to take a short cut to our car in the parking lot so I didn't have to waddle through the rain.
No sympathy from this guy. Must've been my shifty eyes.
No big deal. But like I said, its pouring rain! So we tried to be sneaky and enter the building through another door (ben has a key per being a student) BUT the guard chased us all the way there and stood at the door with his arms waving a frantic "No!" and blocking us from entering.
Jeez, that guy does his job well. He should get a promotion. No pregnant terrorists will ever get past him.
The next day I had some baby shower invitations for Ben's medical school friends that he forgot to take with him to school so I needed to drop them off. I go to the front desk and in answer to prayer it wasn't that security guard---just a nice-looking receptionist lady.
I proceed to explain that I have 3 baby shower invitations for my husband to give to his classmates and can I please leave them here at the front desk? I'm running late to a dr. appointment and my husband is still coming from another class. Is that ok? He'll be here in like ten minutes.
With a huff and puff the flustered receptionist shakes her head and says absolutely not. It is against the rules to hold anything at the desk for students...what if there is money in those envelopes? She could get in big trouble.
I choke back some frustration and open each of the envelopes, showing her the harmless sheets of paper with blue balloons and other happy-feely decor on them. There is no money in here, no illegal documents, no anthrax. Just a baby shower invitation. Please. Can I please just set these on the desk...I'm running late...he will be here so soon.
No. She'll get in trouble. She can't be accountable for this kind of thing.
So with a flash of brilliancy I ask if I can place them right NEXT to her desk on the newspaper rack. She agrees because it is not ON the desk and kindly assures me that she will make sure my husband can find them!!!
You've got to be kidding me.
Later that same day, I was dropped off at the front of my apartment building by a friend. My apartment has valets to park your car and open the door for you. I've actually made good friends with a lot of the valets, most of them are very shy and incredibly kind. Today they had a new hire...as he opened the door for me he exclaims, "Lady! You are supposed to eat the watermelon piece by piece, not swallow it WHOLE!"
Hilarious...
'Til next time, folks!
P.S. this blog entry entirely satire. In no way do I discriminate or endorse discrimination of individuals in these professions :-)
Friday, May 17, 2013
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Update on Kaden's Heart
Well...things have been really hard in some ways lately. For example, I've been going to the doctor almost every week for various tests and appointments. I even met with a geneticist, who was wonderful, but had to discuss with me every possible disorder that my baby could potentially have. Needless to say, its been emotionally exhausting, but at the same time Ben and I have been able to push through it.
I owe all my strength to my amazing husband. Ben has been so supportive and loving through this whole thing. I know that with him by my side, holding my hand, that I can do anything. Yesterday we had another ultrasound on the heart with our Cardiologist. We were really nervous and anxious for the news but at the same time we were still able to joke and laugh and be happy--just because that is our default for when we are together. It makes me so grateful to know that even in our darkest hours, Ben is still my best friend and someone I can always count on to make me laugh and smile through the tears.
Well yesterday our doctor brought us some good news...and some bad news. The good news is that Kaden is growing really well (over 4 lbs!) and the blood and oxygen supply to his brain and other organs haven't been compromised. He doesn't seem to have any other malformations in other areas of his body, indicating that his heart is most likely an isolated incident and that he doesn't have an overlying syndrome (however, we won't know for sure until genetic testing is done at birth). His heart seems to be holding on, and the good news is that for now his heart isn't going into complete failure. The Bad News: last ultrasound he was able to pump blood through the very narrowed pulmonary valve pretty successfully. Now, there is significant back flow of blood from the pulmonary valve and also the tricuspid valves. What our doctor thinks may happen now is surgery on both the pulmonary valve and the tricuspid--although we are still hoping that fixing the pulmonary valve will be the solution for everything else to fall into place.
So...what does this mean in the interim before Kaden is born? Well, because his heart is now having back flow, there is a chance he may need to come early. However, we want him to be as strong as possible for the surgeries. At my next echocardiogram, in about 3 weeks, the doc will determine whether to induce me early or let me go the full 40. We are praying that his heart is stable enough for him to be born full term.
We are trying to stay positive through all of this. We have already seen so many tender mercies, such as living so close the medical center that I can walk to all my appointments. Ben has also been given time off to attend every echocardiogram I've had. We are even just grateful that we live in a time where technology can find problems like this so that our baby has a chance. All in all, our faith is getting us through and now we just have to play the waiting game.
On a lighter note, here are some updates on my pregnancy:
First, I LOVE food! I am so starving all the time but I can only eat little bits at a time. It must be my stomach is so smushed in there. It actually is really great for Ben because he always finishes my plate:)
Second, the baby is so so SO ACTIVE! He moves so much and Ben and I will watch my stomach contort into crazy shapes as Kaden squirms all around. He even gets the hiccups a few times a week! I think that through all the throwing up and discomfort, pregnancy is worth it--just feeling my baby move inside me is the most incredible life experience!
Thanks for reading! Please keep Kaden in your prayers!
I owe all my strength to my amazing husband. Ben has been so supportive and loving through this whole thing. I know that with him by my side, holding my hand, that I can do anything. Yesterday we had another ultrasound on the heart with our Cardiologist. We were really nervous and anxious for the news but at the same time we were still able to joke and laugh and be happy--just because that is our default for when we are together. It makes me so grateful to know that even in our darkest hours, Ben is still my best friend and someone I can always count on to make me laugh and smile through the tears.
Well yesterday our doctor brought us some good news...and some bad news. The good news is that Kaden is growing really well (over 4 lbs!) and the blood and oxygen supply to his brain and other organs haven't been compromised. He doesn't seem to have any other malformations in other areas of his body, indicating that his heart is most likely an isolated incident and that he doesn't have an overlying syndrome (however, we won't know for sure until genetic testing is done at birth). His heart seems to be holding on, and the good news is that for now his heart isn't going into complete failure. The Bad News: last ultrasound he was able to pump blood through the very narrowed pulmonary valve pretty successfully. Now, there is significant back flow of blood from the pulmonary valve and also the tricuspid valves. What our doctor thinks may happen now is surgery on both the pulmonary valve and the tricuspid--although we are still hoping that fixing the pulmonary valve will be the solution for everything else to fall into place.
So...what does this mean in the interim before Kaden is born? Well, because his heart is now having back flow, there is a chance he may need to come early. However, we want him to be as strong as possible for the surgeries. At my next echocardiogram, in about 3 weeks, the doc will determine whether to induce me early or let me go the full 40. We are praying that his heart is stable enough for him to be born full term.
We are trying to stay positive through all of this. We have already seen so many tender mercies, such as living so close the medical center that I can walk to all my appointments. Ben has also been given time off to attend every echocardiogram I've had. We are even just grateful that we live in a time where technology can find problems like this so that our baby has a chance. All in all, our faith is getting us through and now we just have to play the waiting game.
On a lighter note, here are some updates on my pregnancy:
First, I LOVE food! I am so starving all the time but I can only eat little bits at a time. It must be my stomach is so smushed in there. It actually is really great for Ben because he always finishes my plate:)
Second, the baby is so so SO ACTIVE! He moves so much and Ben and I will watch my stomach contort into crazy shapes as Kaden squirms all around. He even gets the hiccups a few times a week! I think that through all the throwing up and discomfort, pregnancy is worth it--just feeling my baby move inside me is the most incredible life experience!
Thanks for reading! Please keep Kaden in your prayers!
Monday, May 13, 2013
Growing???
Comparison of weeks! Just wish I would've kept my pose to the same side...oh well! It goes 27 weeks, 31 weeks, and bottom pic is 33 weeks!!!!
Friday, April 19, 2013
Prayers for Kaden
Dear Friends and Family,
This blog update is actually one that has been over a month in the making. We have decided that instead of pretending that everything is ok, we are going to be open and share with you the hard news that has come into our lives recently. We hope that you will be understanding and will keep our family in your thoughts and prayers.
Everything had been going well with the baby until one of my routine ultrasounds. I noticed the ultrasound was taking a really really long time and the ultrasound tech had gotten very quiet. Immediately I felt a dark feeling come over me as he announced that he needed to go get the doctor. After another excruciating 30 minutes, the doctor sighed and turned towards me. He found some very concerning things in my baby's heart. Kindly, he drew a picture and explained to me that little Kaden's heart wasn't functioning very well, one of the main valves was very thin, almost closed off, and it was causing back flow of blood.
Not knowing what this meant or what to do, I sat there in shock as the nurse scheduled me to see a cardiac specialist at the fetal center. I would undergo a echocardiogram so the specialist could diagnose Kaden's heart more accurately. The appointment wouldn't be for a week later...an agonizingly long time.
However, sometimes there are perks in life that you have to take advantage of. Since Ben is a medical student, he has access to all the personal emails of doctors in the med center and he sent out an email to the head cardiac specialist at Texas Children's. She was able to rearrange her schedule and get us in to see her the next day. We felt so blessed to receive answers right away.
After the echocardiogram, things were much clearer as to our baby's condition. He has been diagnosed with severe Pulmonary Stenosis and Tricuspid Valve Regurgitation. There was an accumulation of fluid surrounding his heart, indicating the start of heart failure. Though he had no other visible markers, this heart defect is often associated with genetic disorders, indicating potential for mental and physical disability. Since his heart was so severe, our doctor also cautioned us that there is a chance Kaden might not live to be born.
In just two short days our world came crashing down. We have to face the possibility of losing our little boy or the probability of him having severe problems for the rest of his life. Nothing could have prepared us for the shock and grief we've felt.
In response, I think we both went numb. We stopped all our baby preparations and felt our excitement come to a halt. We did our best to pretend everything was ok and so we apologize to those we lied to.
The specialist told us that all we could do was watch and wait and that a follow-up appointment would tell us even more.
After four weeks that seemed to last four years, we went to see the specialist again. I had been feeling our energetic baby kick me constantly and so I knew that he was still alive. Also, our family had done a lot of fasting and prayer and we know those prayers were answered. Miraculously, Kaden's heart has not gotten any worse, and the fluid around his heart is gone. Though the stenosis is still severe, his heart is pumping as efficiently as can be expected and we have high hopes that it won't digress. Though not out of the danger zone yet, our doctor is more confident that he will make it to term.
What we can expect after he is born isn't the ideal, but again, gives us high hopes. We know that Kaden will have to undergo surgery immediately after birth. We are looking at a NICU stay of anywhere between 2 weeks to 3 months, depending on the success of the surgeries. We are praying that the balloon valvuloplasty will successfully open up his pulmonary valve and that we won't have to go to the extreme of open heart surgery. We still do not know about any mental disabilities or disorders, but cannot know until he is born.
Until Kaden makes his debut, I am seeing my obgyn every week and the specialist every two weeks. They will monitor his growth and make sure that he continues to thrive. We ask all of you to keep Kaden's heart in your prayers, that he will continue to grow and that he will be able to lead a normal life.
This news is something that has devastated us, but through our faith, our family and friends, we feel supported and that we can get through. Thank you for reading! We love you!
Ben and Callista Welling
This blog update is actually one that has been over a month in the making. We have decided that instead of pretending that everything is ok, we are going to be open and share with you the hard news that has come into our lives recently. We hope that you will be understanding and will keep our family in your thoughts and prayers.
Everything had been going well with the baby until one of my routine ultrasounds. I noticed the ultrasound was taking a really really long time and the ultrasound tech had gotten very quiet. Immediately I felt a dark feeling come over me as he announced that he needed to go get the doctor. After another excruciating 30 minutes, the doctor sighed and turned towards me. He found some very concerning things in my baby's heart. Kindly, he drew a picture and explained to me that little Kaden's heart wasn't functioning very well, one of the main valves was very thin, almost closed off, and it was causing back flow of blood.
Not knowing what this meant or what to do, I sat there in shock as the nurse scheduled me to see a cardiac specialist at the fetal center. I would undergo a echocardiogram so the specialist could diagnose Kaden's heart more accurately. The appointment wouldn't be for a week later...an agonizingly long time.
However, sometimes there are perks in life that you have to take advantage of. Since Ben is a medical student, he has access to all the personal emails of doctors in the med center and he sent out an email to the head cardiac specialist at Texas Children's. She was able to rearrange her schedule and get us in to see her the next day. We felt so blessed to receive answers right away.
After the echocardiogram, things were much clearer as to our baby's condition. He has been diagnosed with severe Pulmonary Stenosis and Tricuspid Valve Regurgitation. There was an accumulation of fluid surrounding his heart, indicating the start of heart failure. Though he had no other visible markers, this heart defect is often associated with genetic disorders, indicating potential for mental and physical disability. Since his heart was so severe, our doctor also cautioned us that there is a chance Kaden might not live to be born.
In just two short days our world came crashing down. We have to face the possibility of losing our little boy or the probability of him having severe problems for the rest of his life. Nothing could have prepared us for the shock and grief we've felt.
In response, I think we both went numb. We stopped all our baby preparations and felt our excitement come to a halt. We did our best to pretend everything was ok and so we apologize to those we lied to.
The specialist told us that all we could do was watch and wait and that a follow-up appointment would tell us even more.
After four weeks that seemed to last four years, we went to see the specialist again. I had been feeling our energetic baby kick me constantly and so I knew that he was still alive. Also, our family had done a lot of fasting and prayer and we know those prayers were answered. Miraculously, Kaden's heart has not gotten any worse, and the fluid around his heart is gone. Though the stenosis is still severe, his heart is pumping as efficiently as can be expected and we have high hopes that it won't digress. Though not out of the danger zone yet, our doctor is more confident that he will make it to term.
What we can expect after he is born isn't the ideal, but again, gives us high hopes. We know that Kaden will have to undergo surgery immediately after birth. We are looking at a NICU stay of anywhere between 2 weeks to 3 months, depending on the success of the surgeries. We are praying that the balloon valvuloplasty will successfully open up his pulmonary valve and that we won't have to go to the extreme of open heart surgery. We still do not know about any mental disabilities or disorders, but cannot know until he is born.
Until Kaden makes his debut, I am seeing my obgyn every week and the specialist every two weeks. They will monitor his growth and make sure that he continues to thrive. We ask all of you to keep Kaden's heart in your prayers, that he will continue to grow and that he will be able to lead a normal life.
This news is something that has devastated us, but through our faith, our family and friends, we feel supported and that we can get through. Thank you for reading! We love you!
Ben and Callista Welling
Monday, April 8, 2013
27 weeks! Start of my third trimester!
Well, my belly has really grown again. My innie belly button is almost an outie!!! I can't wait! An update on my pregnancy:
Morning sickness: FINALLY gone!!!! Thank heavens! But it has been immediately replaced by swollen feet, pounding headaches, and overwhelming fatigue.
Cravings: Cheese, yogurt, chocolate milk. Anything dairy sounds delicious! Also, chips and salsa. Can't get enough of it!
I can't believe that just under three weeks ago I ran a half marathon. I know I couldn't do it now! I've really slowed down my pace--I think the bump just got really heavy really fast! So for now I'm stuck to working out on the elliptical, and that has completely thrown out the window my motivation to work out. Am I the only one to get insanely bored on those machines?
I'm really grateful for Ben who always tells me I look beautiful but I am definitely getting to that stage where I'm really struggling to feel comfortable with my body. I feel like I get stared at whenever I go places and it really bothers me. I wish I could ignore it but I honestly hate going even to the store because someone will ALWAYS comment on my bump, and often the comments are not nice. For example, in the elevator of my apartment a lady addressed me saying, "Wow, you must be pretty close, huh?" AH! I KNOW I AM BIG BUT NOT THAT BIG AND YOU SHOULD NEVER SAY THAT TO A PREGNANT LADY! Needless to say, I am super irritated with people and I'll blame it as another pregnancy symptom :-)
On a positive note, General Conference this weekend was incredible. I was reminded of why I am going through all this, and it is because I know that the greatest happiness in life comes from family. I can't wait to meet my little boy!
Monday, April 1, 2013
Adventures in Austin
Well, Ben and I officially LOVE Austin, Texas. Sorry, Houston, but Austin just seems more our style. We love the rolling hills, the wildflowers, the restaurants, and the culture. Every time we go we have a really good time. It is only a 2 hour drive from our house so it's the perfect vacation spot for weekend get aways.
Two saturdays ago I ran my 1/2 marathon!!! I was 24 weeks pregnant (almost 25!) and ran it in 2:40. It was honestly the best experience. I took it easy and made friends along the way. I tried not to be too competitive, but at the last 3 miles I left my companions in the dust and pushed it to beat all the ladies that said they were determined not to be beaten by a pregnant lady. Too bad for them. I torched them all :-)
We also went camping and before you think I'm really crazy, we had a super nice air mattress and full restrooms. It wasn't all that rugged:) We went with our good friends Jeff and Rachel Whitlock. It was a BLAST! We had tinfoil dinners and smores for dinner and got in trouble with the other campers for being up too late and too loud...turns out those other campers were MORMON too! Oops...way to represent :(
On Saturday we went to Mckinney falls. We had a picnic lunch and hiked and played in the water. The water wasn't too cold...and I really enjoyed the secret cave behind one of the waterfalls. I wish we had gotten more pictures! Ben and Jeff spent all afternoon doing flips off the falls into the water. Everyone there was watching and we heard them mutter under their breath about "those two crazy guys" and warn their kids not to copy them.
I also took a painting class recently...here is a pic of my painting. I don't really like how it turned out. It looks sad. But hey, I actually learned a lot about the proper way to blend colors and hold a brush. I think I just might take it up as a hobby.
Regarding my pregnancy, I still feel sick but it is easing up. I'm REALLY starting to show and my neighbor in the elevator whom I see every morning said, "Hey, are you pregnant?!" to me today. It made me laugh and I wish I had the courage to say, "No, I'm just fat" to see his reaction. But that would be mean.
More belly pics coming soon!
Two saturdays ago I ran my 1/2 marathon!!! I was 24 weeks pregnant (almost 25!) and ran it in 2:40. It was honestly the best experience. I took it easy and made friends along the way. I tried not to be too competitive, but at the last 3 miles I left my companions in the dust and pushed it to beat all the ladies that said they were determined not to be beaten by a pregnant lady. Too bad for them. I torched them all :-)
We also went camping and before you think I'm really crazy, we had a super nice air mattress and full restrooms. It wasn't all that rugged:) We went with our good friends Jeff and Rachel Whitlock. It was a BLAST! We had tinfoil dinners and smores for dinner and got in trouble with the other campers for being up too late and too loud...turns out those other campers were MORMON too! Oops...way to represent :(
On Saturday we went to Mckinney falls. We had a picnic lunch and hiked and played in the water. The water wasn't too cold...and I really enjoyed the secret cave behind one of the waterfalls. I wish we had gotten more pictures! Ben and Jeff spent all afternoon doing flips off the falls into the water. Everyone there was watching and we heard them mutter under their breath about "those two crazy guys" and warn their kids not to copy them.
I also took a painting class recently...here is a pic of my painting. I don't really like how it turned out. It looks sad. But hey, I actually learned a lot about the proper way to blend colors and hold a brush. I think I just might take it up as a hobby.
Regarding my pregnancy, I still feel sick but it is easing up. I'm REALLY starting to show and my neighbor in the elevator whom I see every morning said, "Hey, are you pregnant?!" to me today. It made me laugh and I wish I had the courage to say, "No, I'm just fat" to see his reaction. But that would be mean.
More belly pics coming soon!
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
24 Weeks!!!
Well, here is an update of life at this point in my pregnant journey:
I'm STILL sick. I am nauseas every single morning and every night. I have to eat breakfast the minute I wake up or else I'm dry heaving. The ONLY thing that doesn't make me throw up is toast and peanut butter. So that is what I eat for breakfast...and I have eaten that every morning for the last couple of months. Sometimes I get bored and try to eat something else and then I throw it up. So I've learned to be happy that I found something that will stay down. Then, after my toast I usually go on a slow jog/walk. The weather is getting hotter (90 degrees on monday!!) so I'm not sure how long this will last but I am enjoying it while I can. Here is me today at a whopping 24 weeks! (just before a painful 6 mile run!)
Maybe its bad form or etiquette to announce the name of your baby before he's born, but I don't care. I love this name and I don't think I'll change my mind... :-) Anyway, til next time! Thanks for reading!
I'm STILL sick. I am nauseas every single morning and every night. I have to eat breakfast the minute I wake up or else I'm dry heaving. The ONLY thing that doesn't make me throw up is toast and peanut butter. So that is what I eat for breakfast...and I have eaten that every morning for the last couple of months. Sometimes I get bored and try to eat something else and then I throw it up. So I've learned to be happy that I found something that will stay down. Then, after my toast I usually go on a slow jog/walk. The weather is getting hotter (90 degrees on monday!!) so I'm not sure how long this will last but I am enjoying it while I can. Here is me today at a whopping 24 weeks! (just before a painful 6 mile run!)
Lets just say that before I got pregnant I could do 6 miles in well under an hour. Now with my bathroom breaks, walking for several stretches at a time, and just being slower in general, it takes me about two hours to get it done! But at least I am doing it! I'm really trying to stay fit and not gain too much weight while still gaining what is necessary for my baby. But I am STARVING all the time and I think its his fault :-) He is growing great, and actually is measuring "tall" for his age. I hope he is tall just like his daddy and grandpa. Also I noticed that I am all of a sudden carrying REALLY LOW and it makes me have to pee all the time!
Some of the coolest things that have happened lately have been this little guy's movements. I've felt him move since before 20 weeks but now I CAN LITERALLY SEE HIM MOVE!! Its so crazy! Ben and I will watch these little limbs poke and slide around under my skin. If it wasn't so cool it would be a little freaky...like an alien invasion of my body! Before, I could only feel the kicks from the inside, but now anyone can put their hand on my belly and feel him do a little football punt! He is a strong little boy!
Besides the morning sickness I can't really complain. I feel like I've finally settled into the happy phase of pregnancy. I'm not super uncomfortable yet and the pregnancy hormones have made my hair grow really thick and my skin looks better than ever. I guess its a trade off...I look "glowing" from what friends tell me, but the only glow I see is from the porcelain toilet when I 'm face down, puking my guts out. Well, I'll take what I can get.
And finally...we have officially decided on a name!!! Mostly thanks to the craft store Hobby Lobby. You see, I found these cute wooden letters on sale for .30 a piece! I couldn't resist getting them...So right there, in Hobby Lobby, Ben and I chose the name for our son. And fate made it so because almost all the letters were gone EXCEPT the ones we needed to spell our baby's name. So here it is! And this is his little changing table:)
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