Summer Break 2023 Weeks 1 & 2

Back in 2020 I captured our summer break week by week... I enjoy looking back on it.  So, why not start again.

Summer break week 1 was pretty uneventful.  This week consisted of much-needed rain.  I remember the boys getting called off every shift they were set to work that week. The calendar was relatively open aside from a nail appointment, dog training session, horseback riding, and my next growth scan.  The slow pace of the week was a good thing because Emily wasn't feeling well off and on this entire week.  She has stomach aches and headaches that were coming and going. This week concluded with Friday's ultrasound.  Baby boy had been growing beautifully to this point.  In his early ultrasounds, he would measure 3-5 days ahead, literally from 5 weeks onward.  As we got further into his pregnancy he was even an etire week ahead in many of his measurements.  At 27 weeks he was in the 74th percentile.  I remember the doctor coming in and saying "He's a little big, not too big!"  All I could think was "GOOD" because so often there is some growth restriction with babies with Down syndrome.  This growth scan was met with different results.  The doctor entered the room and said "He's doing good! 23rd percentile!" Ummmmm hold up.  He was 74th percentile 4 weeks prior AND measured "big" at every (all 9!) ultrasound.  23rd percentile is not a red flag, but it felt like an orange one.  I set another growth scan for 3 weeks from that date and scheduled my twice-weekly NSTs (non stress tests) and once-weekly fluid check ultrasounds.  I was already uneasy about Emily not feeling great and now began to worry about baby boy and his growth too.  There is an increased risk of stillbirth with these babies and my heart just does not like that.

Week 2:

Coming off Friday's unease of the ultrasound report was quickly met with Emily coming in my room overnight with "the worst headache ever" and feeling very warm to the touch.  She had felt like herself Wednesday and Thursday which made me feel like it had been a virus that passed.  As morning dawned, Emily's abdominal pain increased ten fold.  This didn't feel like run of the mill virus anymore, and I needed to take her in to see if it was anything bigger.  I wondered about appendicitis, a weird presentation of Step, or something else that riding out a virus wouldn't correct.  We trucked off to urgent care where they did a strep culture and examined her.  She had a fever of 100.8.  Strep was negative.  The NP suspected that it wasn't a virus but possibly kidney stones, appendicitis, or a UTI (though she said that would be rare since Emily is under 12).  As she said "UTI" my mind flashed back about a week and a half when Emily had some complaints in that compartment.  She recomended heading to the ER because they would have all the necessary tests and imaging Emily might need.  

Off we went, walking into an empty ER (!).  Within 2 hours it was confirmed that Emily did have a UTI, was given Tylenol and Motrin for her now 102.5 fever, Zofran for her nausea, and her first course of antibiotics.  2 ice pops later we were sent home.  For the remainder of the weekend we administered her antibiotics 4 times a day and kept her on a rotation of Tylenol and Motrin to keep her headache and abdominal pain at bay.

Sunday was Father's Day, which was spent doing church & visiting my family for a picnic.

Weekly cliff notes after and eventful weekend:

Monday: Chiropractor visit for me and Emily & off-ice training with my student, Shannon.

Tuesday: Therapy (Best thing I have done during pregnancy.... pregnancy after loss bites and pregnancy with a baby with a disability is heavy too.  It creates a mental cluster.) and Emily's dance rehearsal.  Thankfully by Sunday afternoon Emily was feeling like herself again and was in top condition to head into her recital week.

Wednesday: OB appointment and dog training.  OB appointment was good.  I absolutely love the OB practice that I am with.  And as far as dog training, with therapists coming in and out of the home once this baby arrives, Charlotte's manners were in need of an upgrade.  I'm doing a 5 week course with her to work on proper behavior around new people.

Thursday: The boys left for their beach trip with friends! I had my first NST and fluid check.  Fluid looked great and the NST was passed easily and with flying colors! 

Friday: I worked a postpartum shift from 9am to noon and the evening was Emily's recital.  She did a wonderful job! 

All in all, this week was a breath of fresh air.  All reports on the baby were good and he's been moving around well this week.  Emily is feeling better and no medical mysteries are looming.  It was a little bit nice to have the boys away: I know they LOVE the beach trip and whenever some of the kids are gone, a new dynamic descends.  This time, the girls (who are all typically pretty oil and water) began playing with each other all on their own. 

This week was win after win after win.  I will take it!