4th Ultrasound

Our second little boy is due March 3rd! He'll be joining our 18-month old son, already in progress. It's been a frustrating and joyful 18 months as we have struggled with his health issues. He has seen his family doctor, an ENT specialist, a GI specialist, a nutritionist and an allergist...all to find out why he hasn't been gaining weight, starting around 4 months.

He started out at a very healthy and normal 7 pounds 10 ounces...and currently hovers around 20 pounds. He has been diagnosed with a condition in his esophagus that makes it difficult and painful for him to eat...but not all of the doctors agree on this diagnosis. I've spent too many a meal-time watching as my son refuses to be fed or eat anything on his tray...these often ending with me crying in frustration. He is currently doing better and gaining on his height/weight charts and they've weaned him from his medications. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he will continue to drink his pediasure and his eating habits will improve.

My soon-to-be born has also been giving us some concerns. He seems to be growing fine, but we have had to have 4 ultrasounds to keep an eye on his kidneys, which seem to be enlarged. The ultrasounds have been a mixed blessing, as it's been really nice to check in more often and watch him grow inside me. With our first son, we only got the standard one ultrasound.

Today's ultrasound was the most amazing of all. We got such great pictures of his brain and heart development, as well as some amazing shots of his face. You could see him opening and closing his lips, taking a drink, sticking out his tongue...and this was with just a traditional ultrasound, not the new 3D ultrasounds. We could even see his head of hair, probably going to be long and thick...just like his brother. It's so amazing to see him, tucked snugly inside of me, growing and developing. I can't wait to meet him!

The bad news is that one of his kidneys is still enlarged...moreso than last time. So, he'll have to be monitored post-birth to keep an eye on the situation. I know this is probably a minor concern, but I could really go for a healthy baby with no problems. We'll just have to wait and see....wait for the little one to make his appearance and see what the future holds. For now, I'm going to treasure those ultrasound pictures of my little one, safe and protected in my belly.

The January Blahs (already)

I think this is an all-time record for the January blahs. I think it's a little bit weather (cold), a touch of the hormones of being pregnant, a smidge of the let-down of the holiday bustle and a pinch of my home situation. We can't get to all of these in one post (and definitely wouldn't want to!).

My computer is on the fritz and won't let me edit photos...which makes it difficult to do much work on promoting my website. So, I've been laying on the couch with my pregnant belly and my 17-month old...thinking of where my future artistic endeavors will take me. I'm finding the whole jewelry market is a bit saturated and unfullfilling. Luckily, I always have ideas on the back burner...it's just deciding where to go from here. Should I continue with the resin beads, but sell them as components? Should I stick with the resin, but ditch the jewelry and create some wall art and other home decor? Should I ditch the resin and the jewelry all-together and move in a different direction? Or should I stick with it and see if I can move further? Unfortunately, I'm always itching to do something different...so I never know if these are my instincts or just me being restless.

Most likely, I'll just be staying where I am and doing what I can...considering my life is about to change considerably. New baby, new home, new job (hopefully) and less time to sit on the couch and think.