It's a GIRL!!!

We have been anxiously waiting our anatomy scan to finally find out what the sex of baby #2 is!  We went to a private ultrasound place when i was 17 1/2 weeks and the tech wasn't 100% on a gender determination. Baby was really uncooperative, hands and legs kept getting in the way and the umbilical cord was running between the legs. Based on the photos she did get she was guessing boy, but comparing them to Brayden's photos and all the angles we saw while there we were not sold.

After our scan yesterday it's official we are on team PINK!!! Obviously we would of been happy either way but we are excited to get to have the best of both worlds. Brayden is going to make a great big brother to a little sister. I think having a girl also takes some of the pressure off to try for number 3. I'm not sure if we want to go through IVF again and if we do we only have just over 2 years to use our remaining embryos before they hit our RE's (ivf dr) "expiration" date.  Either way it's just so excited to know what we are having!

Profile with hand coming up to the face!

Baby looked perfect at the scan!  All of the anatomy looked developmentally appropriate and baby was weighing in at 13 oz! I'm a little concerned at how big baby was measuring b/c at 20 weeks Brayden was weighing 12 oz and he ended up being 9lb9oz and 22 1/2 inches. lol  So I am REALLY grateful they are doing a growth scan this time around, so if baby looks like she is going to be on the same track they will induce me at 39 weeks.  Heartbeat was also nice and strong at 164.  I absolutely love seeing baby moving, kicking and rolling around.  I can't wait to finally meet and hold baby girl in my arms for the first time!

Babys Face ~ this is kinda a creepy looking shot lol 

Immunologist and Periodic Fever Syndrome

We finally had our consult with the Immunologist at CHOP yesterday and I think things went pretty well considering. We saw Dr. Soma Jyonouchi, and he was really great. Everyone we have worked with at CHOP so far has been wonderful but it's so reassuring to have drs actually listen to you and work WITH you to figure out what is going on.  Since I had been calendaring Brayden's fevers we've found they are usually occurring ever 3-4 weeks and are lasting 5-7 days.  Based on all of his symptoms (or lack there of), the results from the testing we had done at the hospital he agrees that there is good chance Brayden has Periodic Fever Syndrome (PFAPA) so he is labeling it that as a preliminary diagnosis.

The doctor describes PFAPA as a defect in the fever mechanism. Normally when someone has a viral/bacterial infection the body's normal and healthy response is to run a fever to fight it off.  In the case of PFAPA the body actually runs a fever when it is in the absence of an infection. Essentially flipping the switch at the wrong time. So the next step was to run some comprehensive blood work and genetic testing. PFAPA has a few different types so they were testing for three of the genetic variations to see if he has one of those. There is also a non genetic version so it doesn't mean he definitely doesn't have it if those come back negative.   I was just glad that the tech was able to get his vein the first time and he wasn't a SUPER slow bleeder like the last time he was in the hospital. That time they had to get it drop by drop even after hydration. They bloodwork included:

Genetic Testing
       214 Familial Mediterranean Fever (MEFV)
       216 Hyper-IgD Syndrome (MVK)
       215 Familial Hibernian fever/TRAPS (TNFRSF1A)
Anti-tetanus Antibodies
Diptheria Antibodies
CBC with Differential (blood counts)
Sedimentation Rate
C-Reactive Protein (Inflammatory Marker)
Basic Lymphocyte Panel
Pneumococcal Antibodies
Immunology Panel (antibodies)
       Immunoglobulin M
       Immunoglobulin A
       Immunoglobulin G

The dr said that the majority of the blood work will be back with in 1 1/2 to 2 weeks. The genetic testing takes 6-8 weeks to get back but they are going to call us either way to go over all of the details of what they do and don't find. If they confirm the PFAP then he said there are 6 treatment options. Each one varies depending on the form of PFAP and his particular situation. He didn't go over everything with me as far as treatment since he said it can be extensive to explain and possibly unnecessary to go over until we have an official diagnosis.

Brayden did really great with the dr and his bloodwork. He surprisingly really liked his dr.  He was sharing snacks with him, playing peek-a-boo and trying to get him to pick him up.  Considering how he has reacted to most of the drs at our appointments and in the hospital this was a welcome change.  :) Of course he cried and screamed while they took 8 tubes of blood but he did so good. I hate having to hold him down for testing, blood work and procedures, it really breaks my heart.  Being pregnant on top of it makes it even more emotional for me.

So for now we wait.  He is currently in a window of being "due" for another episode but hasn't had things go completely nuts...yet. He has been running a low grade fever 100-101 for the last 3 days. I'm not sure what to think, since it doesn't fit the usual profile where it stays 103-105 even with meds. I'm hoping and praying it doesn't decide to spike and his body is just taking it easy on him considering the severity of the last episode. His temperament has definitely fit the PFAPA pattern this week. Usually right before it starts he is extra miserable, crying, clingy, waking at night crying more than normal, and that's been happening all week. For now I'm calling it a mini-episode and going with the flow of things. I'll take this kind of "episode" any day of the week over the hell he normally goes through.

Since he has been so good through all of the drs and sickness stuff I decided to take him to Toys R Us to get a little prize. He's obsessed with his Hot Wheels so i was planning on letting him pick out some more but once he saw a firetruck it was over. I think he definitely deserves it! He was so excited! Of course he sat in the cart pushing the siren buttons for the 15 minutes we walked around the store. lol

20 weeks! Half way there!!

How far along? 20 weeks! 1/2 way to meeting my little peanut!
Total weight gain/loss: lost 10 gained 5- packed on some lbs this week lol
Sleep: not sleeping well as all, my leg pain started this week and i'm tossing and turning
How big is baby? the size of a cantaloupe about 6.5" from head to butt and 10.6 oz
Best moment this week: the crazy amount of moving and kicking baby has been doing! this kid is ACTIVE!
Movement: much stronger and more consistant! Jason "kinda" felt baby kick from the outside!
Symptoms: exhausted, i also have a throat/sinus thing still going on, leg pain,
Symptoms I DON'T have: nausea
Food cravings: spicy, carbs, lemonade
Food aversions: meat
Gender: we will hopefully find out in 4 days!!
Labor Signs: none
Belly Button in or out? in
What I miss: sleeping soundly
What I am looking forward to: anatomy scan on tuesday (4 days)!! hoping baby isn't shy this time and we can find out the sex!
Milestones: we're at the half way point! hopefully baby doesn't follow suit like his/her brother and comes late!

DIY:Crayon Roll!

I have been trying to find simple projects to get better at sewing with. I saw this cute idea on Pinterest for a roll up crayon holder and figured it would be something good and relatively easy to try. I think it was a success despite some imperfections and Brayden likes sliding the crayons in and out!  For the tutorial you can check out the Skip to My Lou Blog. It's fairly easy for newbies. I found some cute polka dot fabric on clearance so it only cost me about 3-4 dollars and I have enough materials to make at least 4 of these.  It's great to throw in your bag when taking coloring books and crayons on the go.  You don't have to worry about crayon boxes opening or ripping and it barely takes up and space!

19 weeks!

Yeah we are ALMOST half way there!! I have been feeling big despite not really gaining any more weight but the belly is definitely growing! I LOVE sporting a REAL bump and getting over that awkward phase of looking fat and not pregnant.  

How far along? 19 weeks!

Total weight gain/loss: lost 10 gained 3

Sleep: depends on the night, sometimes tossing and turning

How big is baby? The size of a mango: about 6" long and 8.5oz 

Best moment this week: baby has been moving like crazy and more consistent

Movement: baby has been moving like crazy and more consistent

Symptoms: exhausted, headaches, heart fluttering/palpitations

Symptoms I DON'T have: nausea

Food cravings: spicy, carbs

Food aversions: meat but still getting better

Gender: ???

Labor Signs:  none

Belly Button in or out?  in 

What I miss: energy

What I am looking forward to: our anatomy scan on the 13th and hopefully baby cooperates this time!

Milestones: almost to 20 weeks

Fun at Adventure Aquarium!!

Yesterday my girlfriends Jill and Kelly took us to the Adventure Aquarium with them. The kids had such a good time and it was great to FINALLY get a chance to catch up with friends! We have been trying to over a month to get together and one thing or another seems to come up.

I think Brayden's favorite was a the sharks and watching the men diving with the fish! He and Abby ran around like crazy kids climbing on everything and having a ball, while Arianna was a good girl and followed and listened to mommy. Oh to have a kid that was calm and could sit still for a minute! lol Cassy was such a great baby as usual, she is too sweet! I took a bunch of pics, it was a little hard to get some good shots with the contrast of the fish tanks but I did get a few good ones!

FISH!!!

 What a smiley face!

Petting a sting ray! more like splashing a sting ray lol 

 Yup they both got soaked! 

Sharing snacks, watching fish, how romantic! lol 

He LOVES babies! 

Home made baby wipes!

The second "recipe" I wanted to try was for baby wipes. I don't think we spend a TON on baby wipes to start with since I am all about getting deals but figured it would be something good to try and since we had all the ingredients and already use viva paper towels so why not.  And with #2 on the way, why not save a little extra.  :)

THE VERDICT: they definitely work well for cleaning up diaper messes, sticky hands and faces. My only complaint is they are obviously not as thick as commercial wipes so with a few poopy diapers i have needed an extra wipe or two. Not bad for the price!

Ingredients:
One roll of viva paper towels
2 tablespoons of Baby Wash (you can use your favorite- for this I used Aveeno baby)
1 tablespoon baby oil ( I used the vitamin E and aloe kind I had)
1 storage containers to store wipes
2 cups of water boiled and cooled to room temperature

For the recipe I decided to make two batches of baby wipes since it's so easy.  One for downstairs and one for Brayden's room, so I needed two containers. I actually found two basic tupperware containers that were the perfect size at Big Lots for $2.50.

First cut the roll of paper towels in half with a sharp knife. I used a bread knife and it worked fairly easy despite not cutting them even. lol  After cutting work the inner cardboard roll out so just the towels remain. If the towels start to come out one end it's actually a good thing b/c that's how we want them to unravel later.

Take your storage container(s) and add two cups of your cooled water to each.  Add the 2 tablespoons of baby wash and 1 tablespoon of baby oil to each container and mix.  

Place a roll in to each container and let the roll soak up the mixture for about 10 minutes

With the lid on flip the container over and let the wipes sit for another 10 minutes to make sure the whole roll gets wet.  

When they're done mine looked like this :) I pulled the middle of the roll up so i know where it started and they are ready to use.  Make sure you store them with the lid closed tightly so that they do not dry out.

Brayden stacking and playing drums on the finished product! 

Home made Laundry Detergent!

I've been seeing all these recipes for home made products and have been wanting to give a few a try. I figured for a few dollars if it didn't work out great it's no biggie. A few girls I talk to have been trying out this recipe with success so I figured I would give it a try.  I spent about $10 on all the supplies and it makes a LOT of batches. It's really easy and SUPER cheap, less than $1 for 2 gallons, so why not! Each load uses about 1/2 cup of detergent, which should equal about 64 loads of laundry. 

Ingredients: 
1/3 bar Ivory Soap 
1/2 cup Washing Soda  (if you get Arm and Hammer make sure it's washing soda and NOT baking soda)
1/2 cup Borax
1 utitlity bucket for mixing and cooling
2 gallons of water

First using a box cheese grater grate 1/3 of one bar of soap and set aside

In a large pot mix together 6 cups of water and gated soap. Heat on medium mixing until the soap is melted. 

Once the soap is melted add the Borax and Washing soda. Continue to heat and mix until they are dissolved.  

Pour soap mixture in to your utility bucket. Be CAREFUL the mixture will be HOT! 

Add an additional 4 cups of hot water to the bucket and mix together.  

Add another gallon and 6 cups (of 22 cups total) of room temperature water to the bucket and mix thoroughly.

All that's left to do is let the detergent sit over night.  As it sits it will start to turn in to a runny gel form. Use a funnel to pour it in to whatever container you would like to use to store it. I am reusing an existing laundry detergent bottle. Use about 1/2 cup per load of laundry! Enjoy!