Took Austin to the doctor this morning since he developed a fever last night and still had it this morning. No ear infection or strep throat. He does have hand, foot & mouth disease most likely she said. It's viral so we can't really do much for it except give him Tylenol and keep him hydrated. :( Poor lil guy!! He has one lesion on his throat she said and hopefully thats all he will get.

Now I really don't want to go to work tonight!!

First night shift coming up tomorrow...yikes! Hope I can stay awake. When I was there for my unit orientation yesterday there were only 2 babies...2! That's insane. :( I reallllly hope that a better NNP job comes along or this unit starts growing soon like they claim it will! At least I won't be getting cancelled or floating to the Peds unit since I am on orientation.

Feeling better about dealing with the crazies who think they can judge the spacing of our children. I've yet to hear of any mom who has her children close together tell m that she regrets it. The clinical supervisor who I was with yesterday for unit orientation had hers 23 mts apart and then another RN on the unit had her close as well. They both said its been great to see them be interested in similar things and do cute stuff together. Of course they also warned that the first few months are hard until the new baby gets in a routine...but it would be like that for anybody! :) Very much looking forward to Mason's birth. Made a list of what needs to go in my hospital bag and we have a list of stuff we want to do around the house/his room/the car before he is born...slowly crossing stuff off!

Austin now has 9 teeth! Another molar finished coming through overnight (or at some point)... and I could see all of it this morning. He now has 5 teeth on the bottom and 4 on top with one molar on top starting to poke through. Tylenol has been our friend this week!

Starting to fall behind on studying for boards...need to get back on track. I have to go to the post office to pick up my diploma in the morning. They tried to deliver it today but it needed a signature. There was someone knocking on our door during Austins nap...but I dont answer the door when alone and didn't know it was the mailman. Wasn't aware that my diploma was considered certified mail. Oh well. So I'll go get it tomorrow so I can upload that & my official transcript to our computer to send in with my online application for my exam. Yikes!! Gotta get on it though since St. Joe can't do anything with credentialing or the collaborative agreement until I pass my boards.

Sorry for the super long posts lately!

I'm surprised at some comments I've heard recently about my pregnancy and the timing of it. I halfway feel like I need to justify mine & Andy's decisions...but then again I'm like screw it, these people don't deserve to know anything if they are just going to (wrongly) judge us based on their assumptions of how life should go.

Ever since becoming Austins parents, Andy & I have realized that life is way to short to not make the most of. Its more than crossing things off of "to do" lists and having certain things all lined up.

Just a bit irked tonight because I found out second hand about a comment that was made about us from someone that I have met 3-4 times in my whole life. Who is she to judge where we are financially, physically, emotionally, etc. Does she determine who is fit to be parents and what spacing between children is required? No, she does not! God has a plan, he knows what he is doing. Everything has worked out perfectly in the end so far in our marriage so I have no doubts at all about having our boys 18 mts apart. All research I've read about having two children close in age only points to the positives that the children experience.

Thanks for reading my long rant. I'm very positive that being a hormonal pregnant woman did not help the anger I felt tonight.

First week of orientation done! All new employees were grouped together the first day and then for Tues-Thurs it was any new (to the hospital or in general) nurses and techs to learn about nursing stuff and some of the computer charting. So glad its over since most of it never applies to NICU! ... nice to get paid though! I have the weekend off then I will have NICU unit orientation for a few hours on Tuesday afternoon with my first shift being Thursday night. Found a faster way to get there...was taking 30 to 331 but then Thursday decided to just bite the bullet and take 80/90 even though I would have to pay. It shaved 20 minutes off so that was nice. Going to be getting the I-zoom pass to put on my windshield to decrease the cost of the tolls by about 50%.

I think June will fly by now with working and preparing any last minute things for Mason. Oh...and studying for boards...doing pretty good so far staying on my "plan of study" that I made myself to help prepare. :) Waiting on my diploma (should arrive today) and then I can scan that into the computer to send with my application to take my boards.

Austin did well being away from me. My mom had him Mon & Tues and then Kelly (Andys sister) had him Wed & Thurs. Very happy to be home with him all day today and then have the weekend as a family. :) He now has 8 teeth...with 2 more about to come through! Makes for some crankiness at times. He also got his hair cut last night by my cousin so he's all ready for his 18mt pics in a couple weeks. :)

33 weeks pregnant today....hopefully only 5ish more weeks to go. My heartburn is getting really bad..taking my max of 2 Pepcid 12 hrs apart each day...and I would certainly take more if I could. :( Several episodes a day of the lovely pelvic bone stabbing pain too. He is still super active and it makes me wonder if he will sleep at all once he's born! haha! :)

Hope everyone has a great Memorial Day weekend...we are supposed to have record high temps here in Fort Wayne. Yuck! Might be limited to playing outside in the morning only!

OB appt today. :) Measuring on time and Mason's heart rate was 140 again...he's very consistent! I've been having contractions on and off since Wednesday night so Dr. L decided he should check me. Not dilated yet so that's good. He looked at my 3D ultrasound from last week and said Mason's weight is measuring in the 64th% ...he said he may want to induce a litle early. I think we'll be ok...Austin came 10 days early on his own so we'll just play it by ear and continue with the plan for a 36 or 37 week ultrasound to see if we can get another weight.

Austin has 2 teeth that have popped through in the last 2 days! One on top and one on the bottom!

Happy 17mts to Austin Jacob! :)

Current favorite things to do:
~climb on the couch
~throw stuff off the couch
~throw the ball for the doggies
~be in the grass...he's no longer afraid of it!
~squirt his water toys in the bath...he cracks up laughing!! :)
~gives kisses without asking now :)

Going through a little bit of a food strike...I am either trying to feed him too much or he is just being picky! Dogs are enjoying eating his food off the floor....but it makes more mopping the sticky floor for this mama.

Getting closer to Mason's arrival. :) I'll be 32 weeks on Friday so probably 6-7 more weeks to go if he comes around the same time Austin did!

Already getting frustrated with my new job and I haven't even started. They are a bit unorganized with communication of details which is annoying. The manager then told me today that they won't even start the credentialing process until I pass boards and obtain my prescriptive authority. Great. Then she proceeded to tell me that while I could take 12 weeks of maternity leave, my job would not be held, per se, since I don't qualify for FMLA. I knew this already but I still didn't think she would say that!! She said "remember, typically its custom for 6 weeks after vaginal and 8 weeks after c-section". Nice way to make a new employee feel like her job is secure.

Wishing I had other interviews scheduled or other offers on the table so that I had more to choose from!

Finally graduated!!! :) Happy to be done!! Got to be surrounded by the people I love most on my graduation day. :)

St Joseph Regional in Mishawaka, IN offered me a full time NNP position today! :) I am going to start as a RN while they are working on all the credentialing paperwork. After RN orientation (week of May 21st) I'll just be working in the NICU unit on a as needed basis until Mason is born.

After my maternity leave is over (credentialing should be approved by then) I will start my orientation for the NNP position...which lasts 3 weeks. Then I'll go to 24 hour shifts....5 in a 2 week period is full time. It really would only be 5 16hr shifts but you have to be on call the 8hrs prior to the start of your shift & available within 30 minutes. Since we don't live near Mishawaka....I will be staying at the hospital during my on call time...not sure how that's going to work out exactly since that's a very long time to be away from the boys. My aunt & uncle live close to the hospital so going there to hang out could be an option while I am on call.

I am still keeping my options open just in case something better suited for our family comes along but I didn't want to turn this job down just in case! Now to begin thinking/planning for childcare...yikes!.....and studying for boards!

OB appt this afternoon went well. :) Mason's heart rate was 140. Everything else looks great. 75% (or more hopefully) done with this pregnancy! Our 3D ultrasound is Thursday morning!! Can't wait to compare his 3D pics with Austins 3D pics. :)

No job offers or other interviews scheduled...hopefully something soon. The online "status" of my interview at St. Joseph Regional stated that they are "actively considering me along with other candidates." Hopefully a job offer will be made to me soon. I'll email/call Riley next Monday if I don't hear anything from any other hospital this week since she told me to get ahold of her in mid-May to schedule an interview for anticipated positions that she said she would have in the fall.

Graduation is in less than a week! Yay! Need to really start studying for boards.

All done with the semester now!! :) Graduation is in 2 weeks! Crazy! I really wish it wasn't on Mothers day but oh well.

I passed my glucose tolerance test. :) My number was 116 and the range for our OB office is 70-139 so I was in the middle! Yay for that!

I had an interview with St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in Mishawaka, IN this past Thursday. It went well. There are 2 positions open..part time (2 24hr shifts a week) or full time (5 24hr shifts in 2 weeks). The hours are technically 3pm-7am but you have to be on call from 7am-3pm prior to your shift & since I live more than 30 minutes away I would just have to stay at the hospital (and get paid a few $/hr for on being on call) for those 8hrs prior to the shift. It took a bit longer (1hr 45min) to get there than I thought it would since most of the drive is not on the highway (or at least the way I went wasn't!). They are interviewing someone else tomorrow (not sure how many they interviewed prior to me) so hopefully I should know either way by the end of next week.

Still hoping Ball Memorial works out...it would be perfect...going to email one of the Neonatalogists tomorrow to see if she's heard anything from the higher up guy.

Austin & I did a little shopping this afternoon since Andy is at a baseball game with a friend. We got the changing pad, changing pad cover and the curtain rod (the one in there is ugly & the wrong color!) for Mason's room. :) Getting closer to crossing stuff of the list. Found a diaper genie for $5 at a Mom2Mom sale yesterday! Still need: curtain, lamp/light, decorative light switch cover, & nightlight. We only have a small lamp on the desk in there since we don't spend a lot of time in that room at the moment.

75 days...or less til his arrival!

OB appt today went well. :) Got a lot accomplished haha! Had to drink the glucola for the GTT, got my Rhogam shot, had my regular appt with Dr. L then got my labs drawn for the gtt, hemoglobin and the serology testing. Should have all the results tomorrow they said. Lab lady commented on how well behaved Austin was. :) Such a good boy! We were there from 2-3:20pm for all that stuff!

Mason is now head down!! Woohoo! I asked Dr. L if he could feel my belly while I was laying down and tell me his positioning. :) Heart rate was 140 and I am measuring about a week behind. Having more "pelvic pressure" the last few days and he thinks that Mason must have recently flipped and is now starting to settle into position. Guess you drop faster with the second (and subsequent) babies than you do with the first since your stomach muscles are already stretched out. Nice to know since I don't like this pressure feeling....feels too early on for it to start. I go back in 2 weeks and we will also be doing our 3D ultrasound in 2 weeks ...hope my anterior placenta doesn't interfere too much like it did with Austin! Set to have a weight/growth ultrasound at 36 weeks to see how big Mason is...Dr thinks he'll be bigger than Austin just by exam...but who really knows!

Happy (belated) 16mts to Austin Jacob! :)

He is growing and learning so fast. I was looking at his 12 mt pictures on facebook and his face looks more and more like a little boy with each passing month. Time is flying.

New things he likes to do/can do:
~climb....(and give mommy heart attacks!)
~gets on & off his firetruck easily now
~able to move forward/backward (at a slow speed) on his firetruck toy
~climbs into and out of his chair at home and at grandma & poppys
~runs everywhere!
~knows where his belly is...and where yours is too haha!

Staying right on track with clothing sizes...moving into 18mt and out of 12mt right now. Size 4...almost size 5 shoes!

In other news, I've applied to what feels like a dozen different hospitals (9, so close enough!)...hoping & praying to have a job offer before Mason is born so that I (and the hospital) can get all the paperwork done for credentialing and I can take my boards. :)

This past week felt never ending. Long clinical days for all 3 days. Then, of course, today flew by! Went out to breakfast with my parents then we went to a church childrens resale. They got 3 toys for their house while I got a good amount of clothes for Austin & Mason! :) Later this afternoon we also got Mason's dresser!! It shipped to the store a few days before its expected arrival date. :) It's not put together yet....maybe tomorrow? Can't wait since I want to put all the clothes/socks/blankets/etc away. I got his hamper and the basket that holds the diapers/wipes for the dresser earlier this week with a babies r us coupon that was about to expire. :)

This coming week is my last week of clinicals! Very excited to be done with this semester later this month and graduate next month. :) I have a few interviews coming up....really hope I get offered a job somewhere soon. I know I won't be able to start right away since credentialing takes a couple months but still!!

Andy got a promotion at work this week!!! :) He will start training to be their branch's loan officer very soon!! This is awesome news and something he's been wanting for awhile!

I am on the lookout for a cute short sleeved Big Brother shirt for Austin...we have a long sleeved one that he's been wearing. I've seen a few but they look silly/have weird graphics on them...any ideas? Also why does all the toddler boy stuff have to imply that boys are messy, monsters, or troublemakers? Annoying...

OB appt this afternoon went well. Mason's heartrate was 134. :) Austin loves listening to it! Told Dr. L about my contractions that I've been having off and on the last 2 weeks so he's going to see me again in 2 weeks instead of 4wks (would have went to every 2 wks soon anyways since I'm almost to 3rd tri). Gave me the talk about staying hydrated and limiting my activity when I start feeling them. 4 contractions an hour is my limit...which I know...but sometimes feel like maybe I'm overreacting or whatnot. I'll be doing my 28 weeks labs and getting my Rhogam shot near the end of the month...prolly can't do both my labs and my appt in the same day with Austin & his short attention span! haha! Ultrasound at 36 weeks to check Mason's weight since Austin was a big baby. Can't decide if we are doing the 3D ultrasound or not this time around...I have a anterior placenta (same as with austin) so it will make pictures difficult most likely.

Finally went ahead and ordered the dresser/changing table combo since Target continues to have it out of stock in their stores (all 3 in Fort Wayne!)....and online. So we ordered it from Wal-Mart...same dresser & same price (but they don't carry dressers in the store?!). We did the free shipping to the store and it should arrive there next week! Feel behind on getting stuff ready since Austins furniture was all set up at this point in his pregnancy. Oh well, it'll all work out. :)

2 more weeks of clinical and one more lecture day where we have to present our 2 projects! Should be a good learning, review day since the one project involves each of us doing a presentation on a subject we are weak in. I'm doing the 4 most common congenital heart defects since the heart/cardiac is usually my harder body system.

I will most likely be having an interview next week in Kalamazoo for a NNP position at Bronson Methodist (the director is out of town this week but wants to do an interview soon). The recruiter that I am working with has been working out fairly well...he is the one who is helping set up this interview. Really still holding out for a weekend position at Ball Memorial. The neo that is the director over the unit said he needs to talk to the director of doctors to see what the details are and where I stand in the process. Haven't heard anything else from the other hospitals that I've applied to.

Sorry for the super long post!

Survey time! Keep meaning to do this! haha!

•How far along?: 26 weeks!

•Total weight gain: 10 lbs...according to my scale..I go back to the OB on Monday

•Maternity clothes?: oh yes!

•Stretch marks?: nope

•Sleep: fairly good most nights...up to pee at least once

•Best moment this week: less contractions this week than last week :)

•Miss Anything?: nope

•Movement: lots :) he loves to hear Austin and his daddy...also moves a lot when he hears the other babies crying in the NICU (we've got some term drug withdrawal screamers in there right now!)

•Food cravings: not really...a couple weeks ago..I really wanted a hot dog ..weird...so I got my "fix" at Dairy Queen...only place that I could think of that would have a grilled one haha

•Food aversions: nope

•Gender: Boy!

•Labor Signs: not presently...hopefully it stays that way

•Symptoms: nothing unusal...heartburn is pretty bad in the evening

•Belly Button in or out? Out/flat

•Wedding rings on or off? On :)

•Looking forward to: OB appt on Monday :)

Happy April!

Fast week! 3 more weeks of clinical!! 2 more lecture days..this coming Wednesday and then the last Wednesday of this month...both projects are due the last class day also. I can now say "I'm graduating next month!!" It's so close! Cap, gown, tassel and hood have been ordered as well as my masters pin for the pinning ceremony. :) The high cost of the cap, gown & hood was a bit silly considering we are technically just renting it...you can't buy it, which is fine since I won't wear it again! We get to keep our tassel.

Still waiting on news on the Ball Memorial job. Its been over 30 days since I've applied and since the application said to give 30 days for processing...I will be calling HR tomorrow which is what the NNP I'm doing clinicals with suggested. I also spoke with a recruiter Thursday night and he is sending my resume to Helen DeVos childrens hospital in Grand Rapids, MI since that is one of his clients. He also informed me that the pass rate for the NCC (NP certifying exam) is hovering around the low 70's% range for the past year for all specialities. Yikes! Not sure when I'll be taking it. I have a year...but I won't wait that long!

We got the half of the office that is going to be used as Mason's room cleared out and organized this weekend. Several boxes/bags of stuff either went in the trash or in my car to go to Goodwill tomorrow. Crazy how much stuff I hold onto that I think I "might" need! Oh well. We also changed the room decor plan. Its now going to be monkey themed with green & brown accents. That room is already painted a light brown so Andy is happy we don't have to paint. lol :) We were at Babies R Us today and the wall hanging that matches the monkey theme was on sale so we decided to just get it. Also got a few more bottles to replace the ones that have the oz markings worn off. Got a new pack n play sheet since the one we had on there for Austin is starting to rip on one of the corners underneath where you tuck it in. Feeling a bit better about getting more prepared. We are planning to get the dresser next weekend since the room is now cleaned out and there's a space for it!

My awesome parents have offered to throw us 2 parties this summer! :) One for my graduation which will be in late May and then a "Welcome baby Mason" party in late July! :) Yay for get togethers!! :)

This was a long week...Austin had a fever after his shots at the beginning of the week..worse round of shots so far! Then his cough and runny nose that started last Sunday got progressively worse. Felt bad leaving him when I had clinicals but I think he tolerated it ok.

I've felt crappy for most of the week too. Just want to be done with clinicals. Braxton hicks contractions have started and sometimes this heartburn is unbearable!! Very whiney in the Coak house this week! Did enjoy playing outside for a little bit Monday & Tuesday in the nicer weather. :) Austin even wanted to go outside last evening ...when the patio was wet from the rain thats been happening on and off since yesterday morning...we let him for a short time since he was going to be taking a bath right after anyways. It was difficult to get him to come back inside!! But he loves his bath so that helped. :) Such a sweet boy!

Absolutely no progress has been made on the half of the office that we will be using for Mason's room. :( Andy is dragging his feet on coming with me to get the dresser...I can't lift it! Hopefully once March Madness/basketball is over he will have a desire to start helping me move things along! I have to clean out/organize and it's hard to do that when Austin is awake since he wants to help and the room is right next to his so I can't really do much during naptime! I do have the newborn clothes from Austin sorted out so I can see what will be reusable. So much of Austins stuff is long sleeve, fleece or dark colored since he was a winter baby! Get so tired of people saying "oh, you'll be able to reuse everything since its a boy." Then I just remind them...Austin was born in the WINTER...this baby will be born in the SUMMER!!! Good lord!

Sorry this was quite the long, whiney, ranty post! Just one of those weeks!

Austin had his 15mt appt this morning and everything looks great! :)

He is 24lbs 9oz (50th%), 29in long (5th%) and his head is 19.25in (90th%). He is pretty much staying on the same growth curve since birth...except his head...that is bigger than it has been in the past. She was happy with his amount of words and ability to feed himself whatever he wants (or can have). She said his eyes look great and we don't need to go in June to get them dilated again. His hemangioma is flatter in her opinion...I agree too. :) Sternum hasn't changed and she said it will be hard to tell if it will impact him until he's about 4 years old. He got 2 shots today...wasn't prepared for that...thought we got a break from them at this appt. He also got a finger prick to recheck his hemoglobin & hematocrit. They should be calling me later today with that result but she wants us to just stay on the iron since toddlers don't eat a lot of meat/green veggies anyways. We will now be working on him recognizing body parts if we ask him where they are located...the goal is to know 3 by 18mts. He knows where his belly is...and occasionally his nose.

We go back again on June 20th for his 18mt appt...and then of course in July for when the new baby comes..She is going to be seeing a lot of the Coak family this summer! :)

Only 5 weeks of clinicals left!!! Really need to get working on my 2 presentations that are due at the end of April! I've applied for 5 different NNP positions at 4 hospitals so far...be praying that whatever is right for us will work out!

Happy St Patricks Day!! :) Hope everyone is wearing their green today.

Austin is now 15 mts old (as of yesterday)! Time is going by so quickly! He says "hi" constantly now to anyone he sees. So social. :) His 15 mt appt is Monday morning. Anxious to see how much he weighs and how tall he is. I think he is at least 25lbs...he was getting close to that when he was at the doc for his ear infection a couple weeks ago.

Did some shopping for Mason yesterday...didn't get a whole lot just yet but we are starting to buy the needed items and got some cute onesies. Hopefully will be getting the dresser later this weekend so I can start putting away the clothes of Austins that we will be able to reuse for Mason. So excited to have two boys so close in age!!

This weather has been great and Austin LOVES to be outside!

Baby # 2 is a BOY!! :)

Ultrasound went well. All the organs are present and working correctly, brain looks great & heart rate was 144. We even got to watch him moving his tongue in and out of his little mouth! haha!! He is frank breech (different than breech) which means that his little butt is down with his legs straight up against his body with his feet near his face. He was bending his legs and moving his arms too. :) He has plently of time to flip to head down positioning. Weight is 1lb 2oz which is 1oz less than Austin at this time and it puts him in the 42th% for weight.

Dr. Lorenc said we will likely do more ultrasounds to follow weight since Austin ended up being quite big for a 38 weeker. May also consider progesterone injections to prevent preterm labor. We didn't do those with Austin since we didn't know I would have issues with preterm labor when we were pregnant and the shots are a preventative and not a means of stopping labor. Those would be started closer to 28 weeks and continue weekly until 36 weeks if we decide to do them (they aren't a guarantee to stop labor). Or we may just see what happens and I'll take Procardia again if we have early contractions. Either way....he doubts we will go past 38 weeks. I am measuring exactly 22 weeks...so I'm not measuring ahead anymore! Yay for that...baby must have had a growth spurt just before the last appt. Amniotic fluid was within normal range so they were able to rule out polyhydramnios (possible reason for measuring ahead last time).

I go back again April 9th. Won't have an ultrasound at that appointment but will likely have one at the appt after that.

And...as of right now...his name is Mason Andrew!