Change, Change, and More Change

Where do I even begin? Do I tell you that we will be moving across the country a week and a half after my due date? Or do I tell you first that I have been bumped up to high risk complicated OB in a matter of days? Or that we bought a new pick up? Okay well, apparently I've just told it all! Details you ask? Okay then, what first?

The baby of course! So yes, little Bean, although still said to be healthy, is having issues. Beaner is tiny, small, ever so little, munchkin, mini me, itty bitty. The last post discussed my doubt in the ultra sound machines. But last week I was sent to Madigan Medical Center in Tacoma (half hour away) to be seen by a high risk OB doctor who did bone growth measurements on Beaner and confirmed that yes, our baby is growing in the 3rd percentile, meaning that only 3% of babies at this stage are this small. Bean has been growing consistently, just very small. So they decided I would be seen at Madigan once a week until delivery to check growth and blood flow between the placenta and the baby.

Then, today, I get a phone call from my hospital OB clinic telling me they are trying to help the driving situation and have re scheduled my next blood flow check appointment from Madigan to Bremerton so that I do not have to drive as far. They said the equipment at Bremerton will be sufficient and I will continue to go to Madigan for the growth chart checks. Then she continued to talk and suddenly, she had me scheduled for five more appointments in the span of two weeks! I was pretty shocked I guess you could say, going from one appointment a week to now three a week. Once a week I will be checked for blood flow from me to the baby, once a week I will have a non-stress test performed on the baby, and the third appointment will be every other week to measure growth and tracking bone length/size of the baby. Plus, I will have additional appointments to do regular OB check ups, labs, and whatever else they decide necessary. I have decided I should probably get a little calendar just to keep track of it all! Beaner moves daily, A LOT! Kicks, rolls, flips, turns, punches--you name it, I feel it. This is a great thing. Also, every time Bean has been checked, heart beat is strong and healthy. So far, I have decided Bean is an anomaly, because he/she is a one of a kind power house in a tiny little body. There is no sign of brain damage, chromosome abnormalities, lack of nutrition or caloric intake, or anything else majorly wrong. Bean is just slow to grow. I hope it stays this way and maybe in a few weeks Bean will become mighty and catch up.

It is official: Bean's first permanent home of record will be Groton, CT. This will be intersesting to see how the next weeks and months play out. We plan to pull away from WA the 1st or 2nd of January (of course, all pending on the condition of the Bean.) This goes hand in hand with the other big change: a pick up. Dave has been wanting a truck for over a year now, searching, running numbers, finding exactly what he likes. With Bean on the way we figured a second vehicle is inevitable. With such a huge move, a truck now made sense to haul our car and two months worth of stuff across country. (We won't settle in Groton until the end of February.) Because we will be traveling in January and February from coast to coast, weather will be an issue and a four wheel drive half ton pick up sounded like the safest bet. Oh! Which brings me to the surprise I discussed last post and haven't told yet. We were very excited to learn that Dave's parents and sister went in on the Britax stroller and car seat together, so thank you to them for such a nice gift! While truck browsing, we brought the car seat along only to find it did not fit in the cab we originally wanted, so we upgraded our needs to a four door truck, seating six. The car seat fits perfectly with room to spare! With my prior sales experience, I decided I "do not negotiate with terrorists" as I told Dave, and I told the dealer what we would pay, not the other way around! So we purchased the exact truck we wanted with the exact features for the exact price Dave was willing to pay (Eleven thousand dollars cheaper!).

So yes, there is a lot of change going on in the Rickenbach family. Feeling little Bean move so much reassures me and makes me think it's just his/her way of telling me "Mom, I'm going to be okay." And I believe it. The doctors say I will most likely not make it to my due date, but all of this is of course up in the air. As my upcoming appointments progress, I will keep you all posted on the status of the Bean. For now, keep saying your prayers and keep on reading!