Update on Baby Atkisson, and Mommy too

We got to have our much anticipated 20 week ultrasound yesterday. We were so looking forward to it so that we could find out the sex of this little creature growing inside of me, and in hopes that I could feel more "connected" with this pregnancy with how sick I have been. (And of course wanted to know if everything looked good with the baby.)

Drum roll please..........

It's a BOY!!!

We really didn't care either way, but we are ecstatic that Brayden will have a little brother to play with!

The rest of my appointment was not filled with anymore fun news though. I lost 2 more lbs. since last week, and my ketone levels were at the highest level that they can measure. (Ketones are the protein that your body produces when it is dehydrated and breaking down.) I was directly admitted to the hospital from my appointment. I will hopefully be re-hydrated enough to go home late today, or tomorrow at the latest.

Once I get discharged from here, I have to go to a hospital in Peoria first thing Monday morning and will be admitted there. They are guessing I will be there at least 3 days or so. My doctor has been working with a perinatologist (a doctor for high risks babies while in utero) there on my case. That doctor will be placing a feeding line of some sort during my stay. We won't know until after his evaluation as to what type of line this will be, but it will be something surgically placed, and semi-permanent until my body starts maintaining enough food on it's own to support me, and the baby. I would be lying if I said I wasn't scared to death, but I know that I am in good hands and this is not about me, but about bringing another happy, healthy baby boy into our home!

There was one other "small concern" during our ultrasound. The baby's head appears to be abnormally oblong- long from front to back, skinny from side to side. My doctor gave no indication as to what this could mean, just said that if he hadn't already referred us to a specialist, he would have been after seeing that. I was a basket case for most of yesterday afternoon- the more I would try not to think about it or worry, the harder I would cry! (Who knew that you can be totally dehydrated and still produce tears?!?!) My doctor, being the wonderful caregiver that he is, made a special trip up to the hospital after his office hours last night to talk to us some more. (Even though he was missing the Illini game for me!) After we had left the office, he contacted the perinatologist in Peoria about the ultrasound. His feeling was that at this point we should try not to be overly concerned. His preliminary thought was, hopefully, that it was the positioning of the baby during the ultrasound, as the baby was transverse and breech- backward and upside down- from where it should be at this point. I felt much better after hearing that, my mind was going all sorts of not so wonderful places!!

I will be having a very in depth ultrasound and full work up while hospitalized in Peoria. I would assume that there is internet access there, and I hope to be able to post to keep everyone up to date on what is going on while I am there. I have really tried to not draw attention to what all we have gone through with this pregnancy, or make a big deal out of it. However, I am at the point that I would appreciate if you could keep me, and my family, in your thoughts/prayers!