My Girl

This is my girl, funny thing was she was fine until

I started taking her picture

she's 5 weeks

weighing in at a whopping 7 lbs

boy does she have a set of lungs

she has come equipt to challenge her brothers for attention

Life As I Know It

Raeleigh Dawn Bierman
4 lbs. 15 ozs.
4/17/08

Well it's been a little over 5 weeks now and I'm doing a lot better now. I had to have an emergency c-section so the healing process has been slow. Raeleigh is doing really good as well, she is growing at a pretty fast rate considering everything she's been through. They are still somewhat concerned about her white blood cell count, it's been low, but they will wait to check it again at her two month well child check. Other than that, my life is crazy. Taking care of 3 kids under the age of 4 is insane for me. The boys are finally starting to calm down, but they still won't leave the baby alone. Zach always wants to hold her and feed her and touch her, but Kaleb just wants to hit her and make her cry.

I feel like I can't go anywhere, unless I can find someone to watch my boys. John bought me a three time use membership to massage envy for my birthday, and I have to use them all before July, but I haven't gotten to go in yet. Thankfully they let you come in anytime, so hopefully I'll be able to break away this Saturday and enjoy an hour to myself.

Big Day

Ok, so tomorrow is the "Big Day ", it's when I go in for my amniocintisis and possible admittence in the hospital to have the baby. To tall you the truth I thought I'd be a little more scared or nervous, but I'm not at all. I'm excited! I want to have this baby. I want her to be safe, healthy, and happy. I am going to get a blessing tonight for her and I, that we will both make it through just fine. I know we will, because the Lord keeps assuring me, but one more blessing never hurts.

Love to All

The Latest

So here is the latest update for all to read. For all those that I talked to, I was mistaken in the Rh level, it is not 28, it is 128, which is much higher and is why they are not going to stop my contractions. So basically if I go into labor any time soon they won't stop it from happening. If I don't have the baby before the 16th they will do an amniocintisis checking for hydrops (http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/uvahealth/peds_hrnewborn/hydrops.cfm ) and an NST immediatly afterwards, and they will induce labor at the latest by the 19th.

So we will have a baby soon, within the next couple weeks. It's scary but at the same time I am very relieved. I want this little one out, and I think the sooner the better. All the ultrasounds and NSTs that have been done show that she is doing really well, and I want it to stay that way.

If you get a chance, read the info from the link above, it explains alot. And the reasons I want her out ASAP. I am glad the doctor agrees, but I almost wish we could do all that this week. Oh well, I will just have to be patient and rest, and maybe walk some too, to see if we can get those contractions to come a little more :).

35 weeks aand counting

So I don't know what my RhE levels are, but most likely I'll find out on Monday (unless they messed up again). Here is what I do know: I see the specialist on Mondays to get a BPP/Doppler Ultrasound - this is basically a more detailed ultrasound that can track the baby's blood flow and also measure the amounts of fluid in the uterus. On Wednesdays I go in to my OB/GYN to have an NST (non-stress test), an ultrasound, and to see my Doc. The NST is for monitoring the baby's heart rate to make sure she is doing ok and to see if she can be active and still not show signs of stress. It also monitors any contractions I may have. Then on Saturdays I go in to the Hospital to have another NST done.

So today was my first hospital visit, and the baby did great, but I seem to be contracting. The contractions were 5 min apart, this is bad considering the baby needs to stay inside at least for another week until I get past my 36 week mark. So they gave me a shot of tributilene to stop the cantractions and hope it holds off until monday so I can tell one of my doctors and he can perscribe the pill form for me. They also put me on light bed rest for the rest of the week. How I am supposed to make that happen we'll never know. I set up with the women in my ward to take care of the boys for a couple of hours a day so hopefully that will be enough.

I hope to give a better update on Monday of what they have said concerning the RhE, but I guess we will see.

Love to all, and thank you so much for your prayers.

Just Something Fun

I needed something fun, ya know a little pick-me-up. I stole this from my Friend Koe (Koi). Have fun with it, I did!

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car) Midnight Tundra
2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie)Neopolitan Thin Mint
3. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name)M Bie
4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal) Purple Koala
5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born) Ray Farmington
6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first)Bieme
7. SUPERHERO NAME: (”The” + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink)The White Cream Soda
8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers)Ray George
9. STRIPPER NAME: (the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy) Warm Vanilla Sugar Carmello
10.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names ) Costner Glen
11. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter) Nelson Newark
12. SPY NAME: (your favorite season/holiday, flower) Spring Pansey
13. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”)Strawberry Maternity
14. HIPPY NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree) Eggs Aspen
15. YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR NAME: (”The” + Your fave hobby/craft, fave weather element + “Tour”) The Scrapping Rain Tour

The Joys of Parenting

Kaleb got into my makeup (With a little help from Zach, I'm sure)
he really didn't like me taking his picture, he screamed the whole time
this was the very next day, the boys found my markers and thought

it would be fun to use Kalebs legs as a canvas.

This is what they do to each other, in this case what is done to Kaleb.

I have to have locks on my refrigerator and pantry so they don't go "hog wild"

with the food. It happens all the time now that the refrigerator lock is broken.

I'll be doing someones hair in the other room assuming that they are occupied

with a cartoon and the snacks and drinks I have given them, only to come in

and discover that Zachery has gotten into the refrigerator and pulled food out.

It would be ok if he just ate it, but he chews it up and spits it out, or in one case

he opened up a yogurt and flinged it all over the walls, and smeared it into

the couch cushions! AARGH!!! He is notorious for crushing his crackers and

cookies all over the carpet, and spitting his grape juice or milk all over Kalebs'

head and the walls and furniture and tv. Thankfully we as parents learn

our lessons and try to not give him things that encourage such behavior, but

what do you do when you ask him WHY he did it in the first place, and he

tells you "because I was mad at you". What did I do to make him mad? Is

it because I am doing hair, and not right there with him? I have been doing

hair at home since he was born, and he is now expressing his dislike for this?

I hope he can appreciate me more when I stop doing hair for the next

couple of months and we can work something out. He is almost 4, and I

sure wish he could behave a little better and be a good example for his brother.

I can't blame it all on him, after all, he is just a kid, and I could be a better mom.

here I am again

this is me once again @ about 7 months.








































I am a bit bigger now @ 8 months, and very uncomfortable
as you all can imagine. I am starting to swell in my legs and
feet and hands and my face. Not fun! But at least I only
have one month left! Along with that comes the weekly nst's,
ultrasounds and doctors visits, which aren't so bad except the
fact that it takes me 30 min just to get there and I have to
find a babysitter for each visit, and gas prices have once again
gone above $3. But once I'm there it's nice to sit and relax for
a little bit without the boys.

Update

So this is what I learned today at the specialist. The anti E is still to low to worry about, and the doctor is confident that it will stay that way for the rest of my pregnancy. But, there still is a chance that it could get out of controll, so with that said, he'll let my doctor handle all the blood tests and ultrasounds and such and if it gets out of controll then I'll come back to him. So yay! I guess. He was way more concerned about my gestational diabetes, he firmly believes that I have type 2 diabetes, because we tested two months early and the results came back high. He thinks that if they would have tested at 19 weeks, it still would have been high and they would have been able to diagnose me with type 2, but they tested too late and now I have to get tested after I have the baby. He said a hemoglobin A1c test isn't good enough, but that I need to have a glucose screening test done. Then he sent us off to their nutritionist and she set me up with a set diet plan, which I have to report every friday. I have to write down the exact amounts of everything I eat and drink, for all my meals and snacks. Talk about a headache! The funny thing is, is that I have small babies, so it makes me wonder if I didn't have diabetes, how small would they be? Normally the babies come out large and swollen, but not mine, they come out small. Funny, huh. My doctor attributes that to how well I controll my diet... well should I not so they come out a little bigger? So anyways, the fun is not over yet, I still have to get my blood tested regularly, and we don't know what the result is from the test they did on monday, so we'll see (for the antibody). And I can look forward to an awefull remaining two months of my pregnancy, of a strict diet, and possible insulin shots. So I guess you could say we got good news and bad news... And I believe the many many prayers have been the cause of the good news! Thank you All!!

Tearful

So we went and took some treats over to my mother-in-laws yesterday evening, for her and Gr. Aunt Janet, and we sat and talked for a little bit. She had a chemo treatment on the 13th and had to get some follow up shots yesterday. It was not only Valentines day, but it was her birthday as well. As we talked she said she has come to peace with the Lord about her cancer. She said she has been pleeding with the Lord the if it's between her and Raeleigh that she would rather go and let my baby live. I can't even write about this without crying. I hope that the Lord wouldn't do that, to send one and take on from the same family, I know he has before, but please not now. Can't we have both. She was so sincere, and I couldn't help but cry. Even worse, I almost gave in to my selfish thoughts and wished for my baby's life over that of her life. I quickly pushed that aside, I couldn't bare to think like that, how could I. What person could be luckier to have a mother-in-law like her, she is so caring and so unselfish and so giving. She loves my family like her own, and continually asks about them and is concerned for them, and when she can, she gives of herself to them. I couldn't have asked for better, and to think that she would be willing to give her life in place of my unborn baby, I just can't bare to think that way.

I know this is a bit depressing, but please, pray for her and my baby. We learned on Sunday that we should pray for the Lords will, and for me that is hard. I want to but I am selfish, and I want the Lords will to be my will, and I know it should be the other way around. Trials are hard, especially with so much uncertainty, and when dealing with life and death. I find comfort in my family and in those I love, that lift me when I'm down, but the mind can be a terrible thing when you let the adversary in. When I'm low is the times that are the hardest, but thankfully there are places like this that let me get my thoughts out when I don't feel like talking. So thanks and I love you.