Baby Kehs 3 Update

Pregnancy.  What a strange time continuum.  How can nine months seem so long and so short all at one time.  We found out I was pregnant with BK3 on February 13th and we kept our little secret between just Mason and I until I was 10 weeks pregnant.  In Minot we had to wait until that point to get an ultrasound and OB appointment.  Talk about an agonizing time.  For me it's a hard time because you are so excited at the news of pregnancy, but there aren't really any indicators that baby is doing well and thriving.  I much prefer the stage where I can feel those baby kicks all the time.  So it was a long first trimester keeping a secret, being excited/nervous, and I was exhausted and didn't feel great.  Add on top of that preparing to move halfway across the world, and just not really being able to ask for extra help without explaining why. 

Before leaving Minot we told 3 of our closest friends our exciting news.  It was so great to finally be able to tell our friends, who were super supportive and loving.  When we traveled around the US before our move we got to tell all of our family in person that we were expecting BK3, which was fun since with Theo and Woodrow we didn't get to tell anyone in person.  It was another several weeks from that initial 10 week appointment to the next appointment here in Guam, so more waiting!  Even then my first appointment here was a paperwork appointment much to my dismay and I had to wait another week until I actually got to hear that little heartbeat again, at almost 16 weeks. 

With my two previous pregnancies I was seen at an off base facility and saw the OB that I had chosen for the entire pregnancy.  Here in Guam I am being seen at the Air Force base clinic and will deliver at the Naval hospital.  The first woman I saw in Women's Health was actually a nurse practitioner who had been my doctor back at Sheppard AFB.  I came home in tears to Mason that she was going to be handling my care.  Her bedside manor is terrible and we did NOT have a good relationship back at Sheppard.  I looked into transferring care to the Naval base, but I still would have seen family practice doctors and not OBs, and the drive is a 45 minute trek, which would have been fine for those appointments that are a month apart, but I didn't want to really do that once I was having weekly appointments.  Things aligned and the devil doctor was scheduled to PCS off of Guam, and so I was able to see a different practitioner in Family Health.  I personally liked her, although sometimes I think she erred on the side of SUPER cautious, and I felt like I left her office every time needing blood drawn and some sort of additional test, but she was thorough and listened to my concerns.  Fast forward to six weeks ago when she told me that she was going to the States for a 6 week training and would be handing my care off to the devil doctor.  After a series of rescheduled appointments I said I would just wait to see someone else.  So, while I should have been having weekly appointments, I went a month without.  But, I was at the point where I can feel the baby all the time, so it wasn't too horrible.  My last 3 appointments are with Dr. Google.  He's a family practitioner and you can tell OB is not his specialty.  If I was a first time mom, I would not be pleased, but this time around I just sort of have to laugh. 

Overall this pregnancy has been really great, although it hasn't always felt like it.  I know that I am so blessed to be having a healthy baby and carrying this baby.  I am so thankful I have that opportunity when I know so many of my friends and women in general don't get the experience I am having.  Mason has been my rock.  I don't know how I could have done these past nine months without him by my side, because there have been A LOT of emotions.  A month or two ago the physical pain in my hips and back was so awful that I would spend a lot of the day just in tears telling him that the baby HAD to come out NOW.  I went to the chiropractor a few times, and fortunately the pain has subsided a great deal.  Sleeping still isn't comfortable, but the constant pain is gone.  Mason was in South Korea last week for work and the baby did good and stayed put.

Today I am 39 weeks and 3 days.  I'm eager to meet this little baby, we don't know boy or girl.  The end always has me very anxious and antsy.  I had two previous c-sections and was hoping for a TOLAC/VBAC with BK3.  The Naval hospital seems pretty firm in their policies here and what they are willing to negotiate.  Mason and I met with a Dr. from the hospital to discuss our options and I've prayed so much.  The next few days will reveal how this little one wants to enter the world.  I've felt very conflicted about just letting my body do the work vs. how much to try and help things along.

The big brothers are very excited about having a new brother or sister.  Originally Woodrow kept saying he was having a sister, but recently both boys have been team brother.  We keep reminding them that we will love our baby whether it is a sister or a brother.  Theo thinks we should name the baby Liam Jones and Woodrow has suggested Yoda.  Which may end up happening if Mason and I can't come up with a boy name that we both agree on.  We do have a few girl names lined up if this baby is a sweet girl.

Meeting Heidi Murkoff at the Guam's USO Special Delivery event

The nesting urge kicked in this past week, and the baby room is all set-up and a little more organized.  We have baby gear placed around the house and bags are sort of packed...last week after my appointment here on the AF base my doctor sent me straight to Navy to have a non-stress test (NST) and have my fluids checked because he was calculating them high.  Mason was in Korea, so I quickly picked up Theo from a friends house, threw together overnight bags for all of us and headed to the hospital.  Obviously things were perfectly fine, but that did jump start some feelings of "oh yeah, this baby could arrive anytime."  We do have some friends lined up to watch with the boys when the baby does arrive, which is so amazing, but a little stressful too.  It's hard for me to ask for and accept help, but we have to since we don't have family coming to town for BK3s arrival.  Fortunately being in a military community so far from loved ones, people get it and are willing to help out.  Mason will have 10 days off of work which will be HUGE.  He's an amazing help and a wonderful father.  I'm so blessed that I get to spend my life with him as his wife and as the mother of our children. 

It's a little daunting to think that soon we'll be a family of five, but it's going to be amazing at the same time!  I can't wait to meet BK3 and introduce him or her to the world! 

Trying to feel for baby kicks