Stubborn?

October 24th, 2010

Maybe we should just call this baby Stubborn. Stubborn Hermanson...what do you think, does it have a nice ring to it? Or how about Let's Scare Mommy Hermanson? No, too long? Okay, okay I won't be naming our baby any of these...but they sure seem to fit nicely!

Yes that's right, baby gave mommy a little fright on Friday. I went in for my NST and the strip wasn't reactive. What the non stress test does is it measures baby's heart rate. When baby moves, the heart rate is supposed to speed up which makes sense. Anyway, baby decided to be sleepy during the test and so the strip didn't turn out great. So, I was sent to have another biophysical profile ultrasound. During the ultrasound they look for things like movement, heart rate, fluid measurements, and breathing movements and the baby has to pass all of these things in 30 minutes. Well, baby passed everything but the breathing movements. The little stinker just did not want to cooperate. We watched and watched and watched and baby just wouldn't do it. With two imperfect tests on Friday, the doctor wanted to me come back on Saturday to recheck everything. No big deal right.....except that I'm an emotional freak right now and every little thing worries me!

On Saturday, Danny and I headed to the birth center to repeat the tests. I was hooked up to the monitor and the NST strip looked great. Then, it was time for the ultrasound. Baby passed everything, including breathing, in less than 10 minutes! It was great to know that everything was back to looking great and I'm so so happy! But my gosh is it frustrating that baby couldn't have just showed us how wonderfully cooperative it can be on Friday. I guess baby is just keeping us on our toes.

I can't explain how happy I am that everything is going well with this pregnancy and that my doctor is so pro-active! ~Praise the Lord~

Here are a couple more pictures of Stubborn...errrr I mean, baby Hermanson ;)






Yesterday also marked the 5 year anniversary of the day that Danny's brother Mitchell passed away. Mitchell Ryan Hermanson was an amazing person and I'm lucky to have known him. He had a way of making everyone smile. We miss him dearly! We love you Mitch...you are never far from our minds and are always in our hearts!

Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day

October 15th , 2010

Today, October 15th, is national Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. Today is a day to remember all of the little ones who never got a chance at life. You may not realize it, but you probably know many women who have experienced miscarriages, stillbirths, or neonatal losses. Many women do not talk about these losses because the subject is somewhat taboo. But the loss of a child, no matter how small, is a devastating event and these precious little people need to be remembered.

At 7:00 p.m. you are encouraged to light a candle in memory of the babies that have been lost. Remember to keep their families in your prayers as well. As a mother who lost my first born son, Gabriel, I know the pain that is felt around the world as parents "let go" of their children. It happens every day. The heartbreak, the suffering. I know from personal experience that is a very lonely place to be in those first painful moments and the time of "healing" for years to come.

So rest in peace little ones...today you are remembered around the world! You are loved and you are missed!

For more information about Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness, go here:

http://www.october15th.com/

Good things!

October 4th, 2010

So, my last post was a bit of a "poor me" rant. Well, on a happier note, we have entered the third trimester, YAY! I had an appointment today and the doctor said everything is going great! My last few bio physical profile ultrasounds were "perfect" he said. The baby passed everything and is looking good. My blood pressure, blood sugar, and weight are all intact so he was very happy about how this pregnancy is progressing so far. I am too! I'm excited and happy that everything is going so well. I just pray that things continue to go smoothly.

Next week starts my hectic schedule of Non-Stress tests. I go in twice a week now for the rest of October. Not sure what will go on after this month.

We got some great u/s pictures so I thought I would share a

few more! I love seeing baby's beautiful face....it never gets

old! Enjoy :)

I love our little hunny....can't wait to meet this baby in a few months!

Mini Whine-fest

September 29th, 2010

I just need to vent a little. I'm exhausted. Monday night was awful.....I was on-call at the hospital and got absolutely no sleep. It is now Wednesday evening and I still haven't caught up yet. I'm still so tired.


My feet are killing me! Standing for 8-10 hours a day at work is not good on the feet at anytime, but with this extra 20 lbs I'm hauling around right now, it's even worse. I've tried 3 or 4 different pairs of shoes and none of them help. I've even tried adding those gel sole supports and nothing works. Not sure how I'm going to handle the next few months of this!


And worst of all, Danny is gone yet again. I had him home for a couple of weeks and I was getting used to having him around more. Hopefully when our baby gets here, he will be here more often. I'm going to need him!


GRRRRRRRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! I need a break, too bad I have to work this weekend :(

Plan for the weeks to come...

September 21st, 2010

I had an appointment with my doctor yesterday, including another ultrasound! I was told my iron was a slightly low so I will be taking a supplement for that (no wonder why I've been so tired lately). I also got my "baby appointment schedule" for the upcoming weeks. Baby and I are going to be very busy from the sounds of it. I have another bio physical profile ultrasound next week and another the week after that along with an appointment to see the doc. Then, at 30 weeks we will be going in twice a week for non-stress tests. Whew....it's going to be hectic but I'm so happy that they are planning on keeping a close eye on us. That's what I know so far. But for now, here are some ultrasound pictures from yesterday. I think baby has Danny's lips (which is a good thing) haha!


Profile picture (approx. 27 weeks)

3D picture (approx. 27 weeks)..................baby doing yoga! ;)

3D picture (approx. 27 weeks)...................that doesn't look too comfortable silly!
Belly pic from a week ago @ 25 weeks and 5 days
Belly pic from a few weeks ago @ 22 weeks and 5 days

In God's Hands

September 21st, 2010

Yesterday morning I had a meltdown. On Saturday, baby was very active and has been on and off for the past few weeks. It's those "off" moments that get me worried. Sunday baby was active but not like on Saturday, and Monday morning, I had hardly felt a thing. I was at work and just lost it. I felt bad for my poor co-workers, having to deal with this emotional, hormonal wreck of a woman. Luckily, my mind was set to ease shortly thereafter and I got through the rest of the day. I'm very blessed to work with such understanding people who realize that the next 3 months are going to suck for me. I'm probably going to be a freak-out queen, but they expect it and will let me do what I have to do!

Here's the thing. As the time goes on, as that 33 week mark gets closer, the more I start to worry. Losing a baby is heartbreaking, at any stage. I would be so hurt to lose a baby at any time, but I think I could accept it in the first trimester. Being this far, I would be devastated. I dealt with it once. I think I've handled Gabriel's death with grace, I've been strong and I've made my way through the past few years. However, I really don't know if I could do it again. The thought frightens me...it chills every bone in my body until I feel numb. It's unfathomable, yet it's not impossible. I know that worrying is not going to help anything. And I'm trying very hard to be optimistic. Pregnancy is supposed to be a joyful experience. So, today I've become motivated to do better, for my own mental health and for the health of my child. I am filled with hope! My outlook is going to be a positive one. I am putting this in God's hands and He will guide me through this!

Prayers are always welcome. I believe in the power of prayer and I appreciate them very much! I am blessed to have such an amazing support system. Thanks to my husband, my family, my friends, my co-workers, and even complete strangers who wish us well. The positivity is all around us....God is working and He is great!

What's in a name?

September 7th, 2010

So we've been asked a lot about finding out the gender of our little one. If you are reading this, I can let you know right now that you will probably just have to wait until December for the big surprise!! Don't be sad....surprises are fun :)

We've also been asked about names. I can assure you that we have a few picked out for each gender. But, Danny and I agreed that we have to see baby before we decide on a name. I don't think we will have much trouble though, because we both have similar likes/dislikes when it comes to this. I can tell you what kinds of names you won't be seeing on our child though.

1. Boys names on girls. Masculine names like Ryan, Kyle, James, Aidan, Finley, Elliot, and Evan will not be found on a girl of ours. To me, these are strictly boys names and a sweet, beautiful, precious little girl of mine is going to have a pretty girls name. I'm a big fan of leaving the boys names to the boys! Gender confusion is no fun.
***Note: I'm okay with boyish nicknames for example: Charlotte nn Charlie, Aurora nn Rory, Francesca nn Frankie, Johanna nn Joe

2. 'Y' in place of any or every vowel. Unless a 'y' is supposed to be included, you won't be finding one in our childs' name. I do not think that adding a 'y' makes a name cute, different, or feminine. Unless we decide on a name like Kelly or Jeremy, there will be no random 'y'.

3. Misspellings. I'm a smart, educated woman. To me, misspelling a name makes a parent look uneducated and illiterate. Some people go way too far in my opinion, to the point you can't even recognize the name. Spelling a name different from the common or traditional spelling doesn't make the name different or unique. To me, it's just the same old name with a crazy spelling.

4. Cutesy names. Things like Destiny, Heaven, Princess, Nevaeh, Trinity, etc...belong on pets in my opinion. This is just a personal preference. I can't imagine having to introduce myself as Princess.

So what have you learned about me from this post other than I may be a bit of a name snob? Well, you can expect a well named baby due in December of course ;) haha

For an idea of what style you might see on baby Hermanson, here are some names that I love but Danny nixed:
Boys: Aidric, Beckett, Callum, Dietrich, Ezra, Frey, Graham, Kai, Lachlan, Noah, Wesley
Girls: Adelaide, Bryony, Catalina, Cecily, Eliza, Freya, Ivy, Louisa, Norah, Violet

Don't worry, there were a few on my list he didn't veto...our baby will be named, hopefully without too much discussion when the time comes!