Elle's Announcement

The Story of Elle's Birth

Well, it has been exactly six weeks since Elle arrived in our arms and I am so thankful to God for every day we’ve had with her in our lives. I underestimated how much time is dedicated to a newborn, along with a toddler, all while trying to maintain a marriage and manage a household; therefore, it’s taken me this entire time to finally sit down to write about Elle’s birth story!

I’ll start with a fun Pregnancy Checklist I created to remember some of the stats and specifics of the 40 weeks and 6 days I was pregnant.

Pregnancy Checklist:

# of positive pregnancy tests: 1 (Valentine’s Day 2/14/12)
# ER visits: 0 (acid reflux was not nearly as bad this pregnancy as last. Reflux sent me to the ER last time!)
# outie belly buttons: 1
# of intact belly button rings: 0 (I had to remove the ring at the beginning of this pregnancy, but I plan to put the ring back in at some point.)
# of stretch marks: about 10 purple lines along my hips (none on my tummy)
# of linea negra lines (dark vertical line on a pregnant belly): 1 (it showed up during delivery…it wasn’t there when I went to the hospital)
# of normal (vaginal) births: 1 (2 total)
# of healthy babies born: 1- Elle Marie Rupprecht (2 total)
Total pounds gained: 34.8 lbs…slightly less than my self-determined maximum of 35 lbs and approximately 7 lbs more than my last pregnancy
Total waist measurement: 42.5”(last pregnancy my waist was 39.25”)
Total hours at Sky Ridge before Elle arrived: 6 hours, 36 minutes
Total hours in labor (defined as time after contractions started): 13 hours, 6 minutes
# of weeks pregnant when I delivered: 40 weeks, 6 days
# OBGYN appts: 16 (12 appts had ultrasounds- @ 8 wks, 20 wks, 28 wks, and every week from 32 wks through 40 wks)
Appts were monthly up until the 6th appt @ 28 wks, then 7th appt 2 weeks later, then starting with the 8th appointment they were once a week!
# of ultrasound photos: 38 photos
# of potty stops throughout the nights: too many to count
# of movements felt: SOOOO many!!! I loved that!!!
# of things I loved about being pregnant: almost everything!
# of things I disliked about being pregnant: 7 things… nausea, exhaustion (being pregnant while chasing a toddler around), higher weight gain (which lead to another item…stretch marks!), heartburn (again), frequent potty stops, and cervical exams

The labor and delivery process started at approximately 4:30am on Monday, October 29^th, 2012. I woke due to Braxton Hicks contractions, or so I thought! The contractions were consistent enough that, once Phil woke up that morning around 7am, I told him about the contractions and he urged me to start timing them. By 8:30am I called my doctor’s office to see if the contractions I was having we ‘real’ or simply Braxton Hicks. The nurse mentioned I shouldn’t be able to talk through the contractions. I should have to stop talking in order to breath. So she left me with instructions to call back if the contractions got stronger in the next 30 minutes.

Well, they definitely got stronger! I called the office back again a short time later to explain that the contractions had intensified, so they made an appointment for me to come into the OB office at 10:30am. Meanwhile, Phil and I had been preparing ourselves, Rock, and our hospital bags just in case this was the real ‘go time’! So Rock and I snuggled in bed extra long that morning, while I was also making lots of potty stops (not sure if that was due to nerves or the contractions). Then we baked a special breakfast of cinnamon rolls together, and we placed a birthday candle in Rock’s breakfast roll and sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to him (just in case we would be in the hospital the next day on his actual birthday…which we were!). Then Rock got to watch cartoons while Phil and I ran around the house packing ourselves and Rock for the next few days away from home.

I was frantic. I had so many thoughts running through my head that it made my feet run in every direction! I couldn’t get one thought or task completed before I was running a different direction to do something else I thought of! Finally the contractions got intense enough that I had to stop in order to breathe through each one, which gave me time to organize my thoughts and my next move. Plus Phil told me I had to calm down because I was being crazy and talking too fast! The contractions hurt badly enough that at one point I was leaning on the bed and told Phil, “remind me to get an epidural when we get to the hospital” (since I was still debating having an epidural)…there was no more debate once the contractions intensified!

It was hard trying to finalize all of the thoughts I had had in the past few weeks now that the contractions were real. Even though we were about to have a new baby, I knew we needed to still focus on Rock too, especially because his second birthday was the next day! So we packed his presents and streamers for Grandma Sandi and Grandpa Jim to hang from his doorway the morning of his birthday. We had to think through an activity bag for him in case he was waiting at the hospital for hours before Elle arrived. There was a LOT on my motherly mind that morningJ

We finally got the car loaded and took Rock to daycare at Mrs. B’s house around 10am and dropped off his suitcase and activity bag at grandma and grandpa’s right after. Then we were on our way to the doctor’s office at the hospital. My contractions slowed during our car ride, so thought it might be false labor and the doctor would send me home after our appointment. But that was not the case!

At 10:30am we were at my OB’s office at Sky Ridge Medical Center checking in for our appointment. Dr. Melissa Zart checked my cervix and I was 4cm dilated (which was an increase from my 40 week appointment where I was 2.5cm dilated). She said it didn’t look like I was in a very active labor yet, but I should still go to Admissions and check into the hospital, get to a room, and get my epidural started, then she would come break my water to help labor progress.

 

And progress it did…fast enough that we had to write down times and notes in order to keep the next few hours in order because everything went much faster with this delivery than Rock’s multi-day delivery! By 11am we were checking in at Admissions and by 11:30am I was moved onto LDR (labor and delivery room) #4, I already had my gown on, blood work started (in preparation for my epidural) and IV fluids hooked up! By noon the anesthesiologist was giving me an epidural, while my mom and Becki were arriving at the hospital. We hoped Rock would be able to get a nap at Mrs. B’s before he came to the hospital with Grandpa Jim, which worked out perfectly because we eventually had all the women in my hospital room visiting (once Sandi arrived) while labor was progressing. Then the men and kids came right before it was time to push (men and kids being Grandpa Jim and Rock, along with Rich, Mason, Katelyn, and Caleb and our family friend Allen).

 

At 1pm, Dr. Zart came over and checked my cervix and broke my bag of waters. I was 5cm dilated at that point, 80% effaced (thinning of the cervix) and a -2 station. At 2:30pm, when they checked my cervix again, I was still 5cm dilated, so the nursed started Pitocin through my IV. At 3:30pm, I was 6.5cm dilated and by 4pm I was calling the nurse because the contraction pain was getting so bad that the anesthesiologist was back to give me additional meds. He explained he would come back in 15 minutes to check on me and I should have a ‘smile on my face’ from the new meds. But when he returned and I did NOT have a smile, he gave me even more meds and came back 15 minutes later. I was still in pain, so he asked the nurses to check my cervix which is when we found out I jumped from 6.5cm dilated to 9.5cm dilated! That’s when the intense pressure to push started. The nurses left the room and told me I would start pushing in 10 minutes when they returned, so I had time to explain what was going on to Rock and spend a few minutes with all of our family before we kicked everyone out of the room.

By 5pm I was able to start pushing, which was an answer to prayer. It was the only thing that made the contractions bearable! It felt GREAT to push through the pain. And the nurse was very helpful in teaching me how to push, which I was not good at with Rock! Plus, they put handles up on each side of the bed for me to hold and use to pull myself into a sit-up position, which helped me contract my abdominal muscles to push during each contraction.

The nurse wanted me to do three sets of pushes during each contraction, for 10 seconds each set. I quickly determined I could only hold my breath for 8 seconds during each push, so we did 3 sets of 8 seconds each after thatJ Phil and the nurses were very complimentary on how well the pushing was going, and within 30 minutes the nurses stopped me in the middle of one of the sets of pushes because they needed to call the doctor in to deliver Elle! While we waited for the doctor, the nurses had me and Phil feel the top of Elle’s head, which was crowning. That was such a crazy experience! It felt like a partially inflated water balloon, soft and fluid-filled to the touch!

Our family said they saw Dr. Zart running down the hallway to get to my room, so I must have been pretty close to delivery. Sure enough, Dr. Zart arrived at 5:30pm and our beautiful and healthy Elle arrived at 5:36pm!

Elle was perfect! She weighed 7 pounds and 6 ounces and was 19.75” long. She was able to have skin to skin time with me right after birth and even nursed for the first time. Phil’s eyes teared up when he saw her. She was a healthy and beautiful baby girl…thank you God for such an AMAZING blessing!!!

 

 

 

40 Weeks and Overdue!

Well, it’s official…Elle has passed her due date and is now overdue! I had a doctor appointment Tuesday (10/23), on Elle’s official due date, and everything looked GREAT! My fluid level was still high (9 AFI), Elle scored an 8/8 on her biophysical profile right away (she moved her diaphragm multiple times…it was amazing to see!), and I was dilated to 2.5cm (which increased one centimeter from the week before)!!!

Since all measurements looked so positive, the doctor was fine letting me stay pregnant a while longer, in hope that I go into labor naturally. The doctor did require that we leave the appointment with a scheduled induction date, just in case Elle doesn’t decide to come on her own. But the doctor let us schedule the induction for the latest possible date, so that was wonderful. Now we can still leave it up to God to deliver Elle on His schedule, as long as it’s before next Tuesday, October 30^th, at 8:30am.

Phil and I are SO excited to meet Elle, and so is Rock. We pray for her everyday and are so thankful for God’s provision and health for both me and Elle. I can’t wait to see what she looks like: hair color, weight, length, family resemblance…and I can’t wait to get to know her unique personality and teach her how to love unconditionally. We are no longer anxious about her arrival. Instead we’re dreaming and hoping and smiling about every unknown to come, and thrilled that God has created this perfect little girl for us to love and to raise in His likeness.

Elle Marie come to me! I love you so much already!

Still pregnant and loving it!

I can honestly say I am enjoying each day that I’m still pregnant with Elle. I’m 39 weeks along now, which is two weeks longer than my last pregnancy already! Elle is approximately the size of a watermelon and my doctor appointments, along with Elle’s ultrasounds, have been going really well. We are feeling more and more prepared for her arrival on the home front as each day passes too.

Monday night, during the Broncos football game, I started to have a few contractions (three to be exact)…probably because the game was very exciting in the second half! The contractions were some of the first that I can say with confidence were in fact contractions! I now have a contraction counting app on my phone in case real labor contractions begin! That experience was the first indication that neither Phil nor I really know what to expect from “going into labor naturally,” rather than being induced. Luckily, my weekly doctor appointment was the next morning, so I was able to ask all of our labor questions while I was there.

I was able to ask how natural labor typically starts and how to know when to go to the hospital. I told the doctor I plan to work until I go into labor, so she gave me some guidelines to know when to leave work and go home. It was very helpful! So, if I have contractions regularly for an hour straight, even if the contractions are not painful, I’m supposed to go home and rest to see if they intensify or subside. If the contractions intensify into real labor, I’m supposed to use the 5-1-1 rule to know when to head to the hospital…contractions should be 5 minutes apart (from the start of one to the start of the other), lasting for 1 minute each, for a period of 1 hour. And those contractions should be painful enough that I can’t talk through them…I should have to stop talking in order to breathe through the contraction. The doctor also reminded me that my water could break, which would signify the start of labor, but that only happens in about 10% of pregnancies. I was still 1.5 cm dilated and no more effaced than last week, so there was no indication whether I’m closer to going into labor from those stats.

Also at my Tuesday appointment, Elle was measured to be in the 30^th percentile for size and was estimated to weigh 6 pounds, 14 ounces. The ultrasound tech gave Elle a score of 6/8 for her biophysical profile this week because Elle wasn't moving her diaphragm to show her practicing breathing, so she received a zero for that category. Consequently, I had to stay at the doctor’s office for a non-stress test (NST) to make sure Elle was doing well. She passed with flying colors, so no worries there! Also, the doctor had a hard time getting an accurate measurement of my tummy because Elle has dropped down into my pelvis, which I didn’t realize until she told me. Very interesting…

My fluid level was still above 10 AFI, so the doctor simply scheduled my next Tuesday appointment (which will be my due date), and told me if I didn't go into labor before my next appointment, we’ll have to have “the talk” about possibly inducing me. Since my doctor induces patients by 41 weeks along, that means Elle should be here within the next two weeks…no matter what! We are SOOOOOO excited!

Uncharted Territory

Now that I’m 38 weeks along, I’m officially in uncharted territory! I wasn’t pregnant this long with Rock, so Elle and I are into our very own bonding time and it has been so fun. My belly is larger than it was with Rock but Elle is still running out of room it seems. I can feel every little movement, including her daily hiccups. But all of the movement is good because it shows the baby is still healthy and active, and a lack of movement may be one of the earliest signs that complications have developed. So, I enjoy every jab, push, smear, poke, wiggle, jolt, and flutter.

At my doctor appointment this week, the ultrasound tech did something new during the appointment…a biophysical profile. Evidently, she watches for four categories and assigns a score to each: fluid level, general movement, diaphragm movement (to see Elle practice breathing), and muscle tone. There is a maximum of two points for each category, for a grand total of eight points. Elle scored an eight out of eight! So that was great news! My fluid was still up at 10 AFI, Elle was moving a bunch the entire time, and we got to see her practice breathing a few times. Her muscle tone was good, which they determine by how clenched her hands are or how tight her arm is bent, etc. Elle’s arms are always bent during the ultrasounds, with her hands up around her face. It’s adorable, but doesn’t make for a good picture when the ultrasound tech takes a screen shot to print for us to keep. So we have lots of arm and feet pictures instead.

Elle is estimated to be the size of a watermelon now and her heart rate was 133 bpm. She has not “dropped” at all yet, but I was still 1.5 cm dilated and 70% effaced. I think I even had my first real (and painful) contraction on Sunday during the Bronco game. I tried to sit up from a laying position and my tummy hardened and the most intense pain took over for a number of minutes! It only happened once, but it made my abdominal muscles sore the rest of the day! And Monday, I walked on the treadmill during my lunch hour, but stopped early because of the tightening and pain I was experiencing. I made a mental note that walking might be a good way to put me into labor if/when I’m ready for Elle to come out! For now, I’m enjoying every day she continues to grow and I’m in no rush to evict her yet.

I have doctor appointments scheduled for the next two Tuesdays…at 39 weeks and 40 weeks pregnant (the last one is my due date of October 23^rd). It will be interesting to see if I have to schedule one more appointment, or if she’ll be here in the next few weeks.

Fun fact: I’m officially counting down by days (instead of weeks) until my due date now, since Elle’s estimated date to arrive is only 11 days away!!! We can’t wait to meet her!!!

Phenomenally Full-Term!

I can’t believe this is the day I checked into the hospital to be induced with Rock during my first pregnancy! And with baby Elle, there’s no sign of induction in the near future! I’m excited to have two very different experiences.

I am officially in the final month of my pregnancy and Elle will range in size from 18.9 to 20.9 inches and will weigh in the range of 6.2 to 9.2 pounds. She’s the size of a winter squash and is considered full-term now that she’s 37 weeks! According to all of the stats from my Tuesday doctor appointment, Elle is healthy and my fluid is still in a normal range (at 10 AFI), so there is no reason to be induced. Elle’s heart rate was 124 bpm, my blood pressure was low, I just passed the 30 pound mark for weight gain (which is more than I gained with Rock, but I’m not worried), and my tummy measured perfectly for 37 weeks along!

The doctor checked my cervix again this week and there was no change in dilation, but I am 50% effaced (instead of 40%). And they reminded me to get my flu shot before Elle arrives since she can’t get one after she’s born. Hopefully my shot will help keep her healthy.

My 37-week email was very accurate about the current symptoms of pregnancy, specifically: heartburn, stretch marks, trouble sleeping, and an overwhelming need to be “nesting.” I drink a liquid antacid nearly every night before I lay down to sleep and I definitely have some new purple marks on my hips (still no stretch marks on my tummy though!). Additionally, tossing and turning all night is a new plague (primarily caused my discomfort and my mind racing). The strongest ‘symptom’ is the nesting though. I can’t seem to sit down if there is something on my “To Do List” that I feel needs to be done before Elle arrives. And it’s the same sensation at work. At home we’ve been decorating the nursery, cleaning, organizing, washing clothes, and trying to get mentally prepared for all of the “what-if” scenarios of going into natural labor. I have never experienced going into labor anywhere other than the hospital, so I have no idea what to expect. And it’s an added level of planning for a spontaneous event when you have a toddler. We have to have a bag packed for Rock and babysitters lined up for each scenario, since we’ll be in the hospital for a few days when Elle arrives. Who knew there was so much to think about during the wee hours of the night! Right?!.

We know God is in control and we take comfort in that knowledge. We will continue to work toward having things organized, but know that whatever God’s plan is, we’re along for the ride! And we are thrilled for all that is to come (even the tough stuff).

Lord, please continue to protect our family and help bring Elle into this world healthy. Please allow me and Phil to be the parents you want us to be…for both Elle and Rock. And we pray that Rock is excited to welcome Elle into our family. So far, he definitely is! We just pray that his excitement continues once she arrives.

36 Weeks and Counting...

Last week was a crazy week! Not only was work insane, but my doctor appointment on Tuesday was a complete shock (again)! For some reason, those two things wiped me out mentally and physically, so this post is definitely late!

I am currently 36 weeks pregnant and Elle is the size of a honeydew melon. Most of her body’s systems are in working order for her debut and she’s just putting on weight at this point. I am starting to get more uncomfortable with strange pain and pressure inside my body, but that might be because I’m starting to dilate!!! Yes, I was dilated to 1cm at my appointment last Tuesday! That feat took me two days in the hospital on induction meds to accomplish last time!

My entire appointment last Tuesday went really well and everything I found out that day made it sound like I may NOT have to be induced this pregnancy! Phil and I discovered Elle is estimated to be in the 22^nd percentile for her size right now (approximately 5lbs 7oz), so she’s not a large baby, but neither was Rock. My fluid levels were above 13 AFI (wow!), blood pressure was still low (102/70), my tummy measured 35.5 cm (at 36 weeks pregnant… right on where it should be), and Elle’s heart rate was 130 bpm.

When the doctor check my cervix, she said I was dilated 1cm and 40% effaced (which is the thinning of your cervix that has to happen before birth). The baby hasn’t “dropped” at all, so she’s at a negative 3 station still, but we’ll see if there are any changes at tomorrow’s appointment!

Maternity Photo Shoot

Phil and I took a drive to the mountains to see the fall colors and packed our camera and tripod to try to get some maternity photos. We put the camera on a 5-shot mode and quickly changed positions in between each shot...it was comical!

 

Sprinkled with Love

What a wonderful weekend! Not only did Phil and I get a ton done, with my mom’s help, around our house. But Phil even got his car seats inspected and mom and I got the entire house cleaned! That alone fulfilled my need for nesting more than I realized! But in addition to all that…my sister-in-law, Becki, and mother-in-law, Sandi, threw me and Elle a “Baby Sprinkle” (instead of a full-blown “shower”) on Saturday!

So many of the amazing women in my life were able to make it…even from up to 6 hours away! During the event I realized that all five of the women who stood with me before God, my family, and friends, six years ago when Phil and I got married, made it to the ‘sprinkle’! I was BEYOND thrilled! I even had to take a picture with all of these wonderful ladies!!!

Not only did I get that heartwarming picture, but we managed to get a giant group photo of everyone at the ‘sprinkle’! What a special memory…and what patient friends! Each person helped decorate letters for Elle’s nursery so we will have hand-crafted art for her room in the form of the entire alphabet on her walls! I can’t wait to get everything hung up! Each one turned out unique and beautiful!!!

The ‘sprinkle’ invite was so cute too and stated the intention of the ‘sprinkle’ perfectly…

 

 

Ribbons, booties, and diapers galore,

Phil and Michele are having one more!

Big brother Rock has plenty to share,

It’s only a ‘sprinkle’ to show that we care!

Butterflies, bubbles, blankets and bows!

Let’s sprinkle Elle from her head to her toes!

Thank you God for the blessing of our family and friends, who threw the party, who travelled short or long distances to attend, and who each made a lasting impression on my life this weekend and in years past. What a wonderful weekend!!! (Oh and Elle was spoiled rotten by all of these lovely ladies tooJ)

I'm in shock!

But I’m in shock for all good reasons! Both last week’s doctor appointment and this week’s doctor appointment left me completely shocked at one point or another. Last week I went in for my Tuesday appointment to have a non-stress test (NST), an ultrasound to measure my amniotic fluid level, and meet with the doctor, knowing that I’d be back on Friday for a second NST appointment. BUT my fluid level was in the normal range at 11.9 AFI! The doctor and I were both shocked! Since my fluid level was normal, the doctor allowed me to cancel the Friday NST appointment. Elle’s heartbeat was 135 bpm, she passed the NST with flying colors, and my tummy measured 32cm (at 34 weeks pregnant), so everything was within normal range!

This week’s appointment was also a shock because my fluid level was still relatively “normal” at 9.95 AFI (slightly low but nothing worrisome) and for the first time...here’s the shocker…my tummy measured right on where it should be (35cm at 35 weeks pregnant)!!! I have always been 2-3cm small but must have grown a bunch over the past week! (That might explain the low abdominal pain I’ve felt, as if I had done 50 sit-ups, which is not even possible!) Elle’s heartbeat was 124 bpm, my blood pressure was nice and low, so with all of the evidence, the doctor allowed me to cancel this week’s Friday NST appointment too! I didn’t even have to stay for an NST today! So now we just have a growth ultrasound and fluid check to prayerfully look forward to next Tuesday.

I did find out today that I’ve officially gained 30 lbs with this pregnancy so far, so hopefully I can keep myself in check and not gain too much more for the remaining weeks. I gained 28 lbs total with Rock, but delivered at 37 weeks pregnant, so we’ll see where I end up with this pregnancy!

As for baby development updates, since I’m still in the 8^th month of pregnancy Elle continues to range in length from 17.2 to 18.7 inches and in weight from 4.2 to 5.8 pounds. Last week, at 34 weeks along, she was the size of a butternut squash and this week she’s the size of a coconut. She can hear and recognize songs we sing frequently (probably “Jesus Loves Me” and “Jesus Loves the Little Children” because those are Rock’s favorites right now) and is peeing up to a pint a day. Elle might even grow up to a half-pound each week from now until delivery!

My body updates were interesting too because my weekly emails explained that my uterus has grown to 1,000 times its normal size…which is crazy to think about! And my blurry vision (in the evenings) and fatigue was explained in the emails too as being a result of a lack of sleep, along with hormones and fluid buildup. Nothing too eventful to report other than that (which is great)!

Here we go again...

Phil and I went in for my follow-up ultrasound today to re-check my amniotic fluid levels. It appears that I have low fluid again at the end of this pregnancy, just like I did at the end of my last pregnancy. The “quick” amniotic fluid check turned into a three-hour doctor appointment, mainly because:

·    My fluid levels were measured twice, ranging from 6.8 to 8.3 AFI, for an average of 7.6 AFI (the normal range is 10-20 AFI and at 33 weeks, they prefer to see closer to 12 AFI).

·    The doctor was running an hour behind schedule after doing a morning surgery.

·    The non-stress test (NST) machine that they hooked me up to, in order to watch the baby’s heartbeat for an extended period of time, decided to quit working today. So I had to go over to the labor and delivery floor at the hospital to use their machine.

After the ultrasound, the doctor came in to discuss the ultrasound results. She mentioned I will now need to have two doctor appointments every week (Tuesdays and Fridays) for NSTs, and every Tuesday will also include an ultrasound to check my fluid levels. At least Rock will get to enjoy hearing his little sister’s heartbeat at my Friday appointments…the one thing he LOVES about coming with me!

Other than that, Elle’s heartbeat was 138 bpm and my tummy measured 31 cm at 33 weeks along (within the normal range). After probing for a specific answer from the doctor about the possibility of an early induction, she simply said “I’d be surprised if you haven’t been induced by 39 weeks with your low fluid levels.”  She also said “the likelihood of you going into labor naturally is low” since they’ll probably induce me again if my fluid levels remain where they are (or decrease). If they induce me at 37 weeks, like they did with Rock, that’s less than one month away (October 2^nd to be exact)!

It’s all God’s plan. We’ll just keep doing what the doctors instruct and praying for a healthy little girl!

33 Week Update

Well…in the past two weeks, since the last pregnancy update, I’ve managed to see the doctor twice! I made an impromptu appointment at 31 weeks pregnant (the day after the last update) because I wasn’t feeling like my normal self and then a week later Phil and I had the 32 week ultrasound the doctor mandated. (I even have to go back again this week due to potentially low fluid levels found during the ultrasound…but I’ll get to that shortly.)

I called the doctor to get a same-day appointment at 31 weeks because I was having low abdominal pain, I felt exhausted, and there were a few other symptoms that could all be explained away, but I decided to be safe and let the doctor determine if any of the symptoms meant pre-term labor when put all together. After listening to the baby’s heartbeat and checking all of my vitals, the nurse checked to make sure there wasn’t any softening of my cervix or dilation. Everything was totally normal with the baby and my body, except a finger-prick and simple blood test showed me to be slightly anemic. So now I’m taking an iron supplement daily (in addition to my prenatal vitamin) for the remainder of my pregnancy. Prayerfully, all was good with Elle and I felt much better receiving that confirmation from the doctor.

At 32 weeks, while baby was the size of a squash (with all of the same 7^th month measurements), we had our 32 week “doctor ordered” ultrasound. The ultrasound was precautionary after my uterus measured 3 cm small at my 30 week appointment. Phil and I met with the nurse to have my vitals taken, listen to Elle’s heartbeat, and review labor and delivery information (yikes!). That was definitely a reality check reminding me that Elle will be here sooner than I realize!!!

Next we had the ultrasound. Elle was measuring a few days small for her due date, which isn’t an issue, but the ultrasound tech was only able to calculate a fluid level of 9.4 AFI (which is slightly below normal and MUCH less than the 19 AFI measured at my 28 week ultrasound). Elle was beautiful with a strong heartbeat of 140 bpm and an estimated size of 4 lbs 3 ounces (34^th percentile). She had her hands up near her face, just like her older brother always did when we saw him in the ultrasounds. The ultrasound tech said everything looked good, including my fluid level, but the doctor was a little more concerned. When he followed-up after my appointment, he let me know I needed to make another ultrasound appointment in one week to double check my fluid levels. Therefore, I will be back on the ultrasound table this week to see my baby and will be praying for higher fluid levels between now and then.

 

Now that I’m 33 weeks pregnant, I must be in the 8^th month of pregnancy because the measurements in my weekly email finally changed for the first time in weeks! Elle is now the size of a durian fruit (I had to Google that!) and will range in length from 17.2 to 18.7 inches and weigh in the range of 4.2 to 5.8 pounds for the next month!

My weekly emails have done a great job reminding me about different pregnancy symptoms I’ve been experiencing and telling me what our daughter’s development is focused on right now. The weekly emails mentioned overheating is normal because my metabolic rate has increased by 20 percent throughout my pregnancy…which I really noticed for the first time this weekend at the park with Rock. I could barely catch my breath out in the hot sun and it took me hours to cool off once we got home! The emails also mentioned mom’s nipples will get larger and darker throughout pregnancy so the baby has a better defined target for nursing. And “baby brain” may be setting in, but I’m not sure I ever recovered from that after Rock was born! But the most important reminder for me was to get our infant car seat installed and inspected by a professional! Elle could come anytime…and she’s considered full-term at 37 weeks, which is only one month from now!!!

The emails have also informed me about Elle’s development with information like:

·         she is now keeping her eyes open when she’s awake

·         her bones are hardening and her brain is continuing to develop

·         she’s starting to coordinate breathing with sucking and swallowing

·         she may grow up to a full inch this week alone!

What an amazing time!

Lastly, this past weekend marked the end of summer for our local outdoor pools. The outdoor pools are open from Memorial Day through Labor Day, so we made sure to celebrate the final days with a trip to the pool after church...a routine we’ve enjoyed all summer. The highlight for me was Rock sitting on my lap requesting to see “Baby Elle” while we dried off. Then he proceeded to tell me “baby Elle is crying”, to which I explained that she won’t cry until she “gets out” and he said “get Baby Elle out now.” Then, out of nowhere, he hugged and kissed his little sister (without any prompting) which completely melted my heart. I don’t know how Jesus puts that kind of love in our hearts…but it was amazing to see Rock and his sweet behavior toward his little sister. Thank you Lord for the blessing of our children!

 

Elle My Belle

More specifically, Elle Marie Rupprecht!

Phil and I have always known what our girl name would be if the Lord blessed us with a daughter.  We love the name Elle Marie, which just happens to be our own take on a family name.

ELLE
The name Ella Marie is prominent in my paternal grandmother’s family tree. It is my grandmother’s name and my great grandmother’s name. Having lived at our family farm in Milliken, Colorado, with all of the old photo albums, Bibles and antiques, has made me appreciate our family history. My grandmother is definitely the matriarch of our family, who I consider to be my stability growing up. She and my grandpa have always been a great example of a Godly couple, devoted to their faith and their marriage. They have been a positive example for me, and I am so thankful for that. I am proud to name my daughter after my grandmother (even though their names differ by one letterJ).

Also, the name Elle is somewhat of a combination between my grandma’s name and my own: Ella and Michele…makes Elle. Plus, saying “Phil, Michele, Rock and Elle” just flows so nicely off the tongue.

The meaning of Elle is "God's promise, ray of sun, shining light." After the flood, God made a promise that He would never flood the earth again. When a “ray of sun” or “shining light” breaks through the clouds, a rainbow is formed, as a reminder of God’s promise. To us, God’s promise means more than just not flooding the earth. God promises to never leave us or forsake us. He promises that nothing can separate us from His love, and nothing can take us from His hand. Even when we are faithless, God is faithful to those who belong to Him!

We pray that, as Elle’s parents, we would be faithful to our love for her and our love for the Lord. We hope to instill God’s love in her and be a rainbow of light in her life that she can always count on. And we pray that Elle will grow to be a shining light for others in her life.

If (or when) we fail, we know God will be there for her; to love her, guide her, forgive her, and offer her a seat beside Him in the kingdom of heaven.

E- Embrace the

L- Lord and

L- Love

E- Everlasting.

MARIE
My cousin Sarah and I both have the middle name Marie, after my grandmother. And since there is a long tradition of the women in my family carrying on the female names, we are going to do just that with our daughter’s middle name of Marie.

RUPPRECHT
Elle’s last name will be one of family honor too, because she is the first girl to carry the name, just like her brother was the first Rupprecht boy in the great-grandchild generation to carry on the name. All of Elle’s cousins have their daddy’s last names (their moms were Rupprechts). Elle can carry our name with pride until she…well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves (and stress out Daddy) by talking about boys and her wedding day.

Brains & Braun

Over the past two weeks, our little girl has been going through major brain development. She’s been adding surface area to her brain through wrinkles, groves, and indentations and she can now react to light! Evidently sight is the last sense to develop because my email this week said all five senses are now in working order (although she won’t smell for the first time until after birth when she can breathe air and not amniotic fluid)!

Our daughter is the size of a pineapple at 31 weeks (an increase from cucumber last week). All measurements are now by month, so she’s still in the 7^th month range of 15.2-16.4 inches for length and 2.5-3.8 pounds for weight. She’s also strong enough to grasp a finger now and I can’t wait to test that reflex! I’ve definitely found myself lying awake at night lately with a smile on my face trying to imagine what she’ll be like and trying to remember all of the wonderful things (and tough things) about having a newborn. I’m sure it will be different with a toddler in the house this time around, but I’m so excited to hold my little girl, sing to her, teach her to smile, have skin-to-skin contact, snuggle…the list goes on and on. I’m sure we’ll be exhausted from lack of sleep and being parents to a newborn AND toddler, but I welcome that challenge for all the joy that accompanies it!

Last Friday, I had my 30 week ‘routine’ doctor appointment (after the previous 28 week ‘unique’ appointment with ultrasound and glucose test). Most everything was just right…my weight hadn’t increased (not even one pound), the baby’s heart rate was 135 bpm, and my blood pressure was 110/70. But when the doctor measured my tummy, it measured 27 cm at the 30 week appointment, so I was 3 cm smaller than my number of weeks pregnant. That is technically in the ‘normal’ range, but the doctor started to ask me if I was having any abnormal symptoms of pregnancy (she rattled of a long list, of which none were occurring). The doctor still seemed concerned, so she recommended another growth ultrasound at our next doctor appointment in 2 weeks. So next week we’ll get to see our daughter again and re-check all of her measurements and, I assume, my amniotic fluid level. It will be nice to have another ultrasound, but it was also a little disheartening for the appointment to take a less than ‘normal’ turn. As always, we’ll be praying for our daughter’s health and development, and my health and amniotic fluid levels. We’ll see what God has in store for us at our appointment next week!

On a different note, we spent the weekend up at Jim and Sandi’s mountain house and really enjoyed our time. Our kids got to go on their first Jeep ride (which was VERY bumpy for Rock and me…along with our daughter in my belly!) and Sandi and I painted some of the nursery decorations, which was fun too!

28-Week SUCCESS!

My 28-week doctor appointment last Thursday was a huge SUCCESS! All of our daughter’s measurements, along with mine, were perfect for this stage in my pregnancy!

When we arrived at the doctor’s office, I drank the glucose mixture (much like a potent Hawaiian Punch drink), received the timer set for one hour (which is when they draw your blood and test it) and then we went straight back for our ultrasound! As we passed the scale, I weighed in and had only gained one pound since my last appointment…SUCCESS! In our ultrasound, we got to see our baby girl again and got a ton of photos from the ultrasound tech! The baby’s heart rate was 133 bpm, she measured perfect for her due date (they estimated her to be 2 lbs 8 ounces), and she’s head down. She’s in the 39^th percentile based on the measurements taken. Everything with our baby girl was a SUCCESS!

As for my amniotic fluid level, the normal range is between 10 and 20 AFI and I was at 19 AFI!!! With my previous pregnancy, I was significantly below 10 AFI at this point, so we definitely considered that an answer to prayer and another huge SUCCESS! At 28 weeks pregnant, my belly was measuring 26 cm, which is in the normal range of +/- 3 cm from the number of weeks you are pregnant. My glucose results were perfect, meaning no gestational diabetes, and my iron levels were just right. Going forward, my doctor appointments will be every two weeks…and then once a week toward the end! The doctors didn’t see anything at this point that was a cause for concern or anything that should require an early induction, like Rock’s pregnancy. So we are praying the good news continues and I can carry this baby to her due date (rather than just full-term at 37 weeks). All in all, the entire appointment was a HUGE SUCCESS!!!

Thank you God for all of the answers to our prayers! I was (and still am) completely amazed and thrilled at your love and provision for my daughter and me.

Just a few days after my appointment, I entered the seventh month of my pregnancy (at 29-weeks along). During the seventh month, our baby will range in length from 15.2-16.4 inches and weigh in the range of 2.5-3.8 pounds. She’s now the size of an acorn squash and will triple in weight by her due date, so I have been feeling a lot stronger movements from her as she runs out of room in my tummy! I continue to walk indoors on a treadmill during my lunch break at work and have really enjoyed watching the Olympics to pass the time while on the machine! Hopefully it will pay off to keep me and our baby girl healthy, and keep the scale from increasing too much more.