Baby Smith 4D Ultrasound

Here is just one shot of our newest little granddaughter that we are excitedly waiting to arrive in just a few weeks, but you can see all the pictures here on Shannon's Blog.  I think she looks just like Boston!

Smith/Sheffield 1st Ultrasound

Sometime late October or early November, I anticipate that I'll be holding my fifth grandchild in my arms! What a BIG surprise and a wonderful blessing boy or girl. What we do know is that God created this child's inmost being; he is knitting him or her together in Shamesha's womb. He or she is fearfully and wonderfully made. This child's frame was not hidden from God when he or she was made in that secret place. When he or she was woven together in the depths of the earth, God's eyes saw that unformed body. All the days ordained for this child is written in God's book before one of them comes to be. "How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!" Psalm 139:13-17

Back to the Hospital...

We went in for our weekly NST (stress test) and Ultrasound and ended up back in the hospital today and it is all because Shamara wore this dang light green / teal dress that you see lying across the bed in the 2nd photo.  This is the same dress she wore back on May 26th for her 26 week check up, when we got the CALL BACK to the doctors office and she was admitted to the hospital for 5 days. Ken and I were like, we are burning that dress or at the least will not let her wear it until after Malaysia is born...

During the stress test, Malaysia's heart took a BIG DIP and that is the sort of thing they are watching for, so off we went to be admitted to the hospital for more detailed monitoring to make certain that the baby wasn't in any stress.  They kept her on the monitors for about an hour or so and the baby was doing strong and passed all the tests with flying colors so we got to go home. Thank you God for keeping your hands amidst all of this.

Who Would Of Known???

A few more days and we will have made it to the 34 week point and I find this fact to be the most interesting thing... of course if you've been following our story then you will know that we have had ALOT of ultrasounds and at pretty much every single one, Malaysia doesn't allow us to see her face. She always has her hand in front of her face and this time she had her foot there so that we couldn't get a perfect look at her adorable little face. Each time this happens, we comment on it and laugh and say that she was already showing signs of being stubborn but I just found this little fact about a baby's development and just had to share.

"The baby can be irritated by the ultrasonic examination due to the light which can disturb its sleep. It may try to avoid the light by shielding its eyes with its hands."

See that "PERFECT" shot of her foot covering her face... that's exactly what I've been talking about.  Believe me, it wasn't from a lack of trying to get her to wake up and move into a different postiion - shaking the belly, etc. - she just wasn't having any of it.

If you look very closely here, you can see just to the left of the word "FACE" on the picture, one of her little eyes and now follow the path straight down and yous can see her nose and then a little farther down and you see her mouth.  Almost a frontal view of her face but not complete with her foot and hand in the way.

and here's that "HAND" again, I think she is telling us

GOODBYE, ADIOS, ARRIVEDERCI

32 Weeks ~ GROWTH Ultrasound

Okay, we've made it to 32 weeks, which I believe I mentioned before is considered FULL TERM for High Risk Pregnancies. Today was a BIG day in our weekly journey of doctors visits and ultrasounds because today's ultrasound was a GROWTH Ultrasound. The doctors were measuring to see if the baby had grown during the time since the last Growth Ultrasound 3 weeks ago. And I am PLEASED to announced that she definitely has GROWN - she is now up to 3 LBS and what was really surprising to the doctors was that she jumped from 14% on the growth chart to 18% WOWZA!  There is fluid in her bladder and stomach; she is swallowing good and even gave us a few hiccups; she was very wiggly today which is great becasue they are looking for lots of activity; they measured her abdomen, legs and head (all good); her heart beat was rapid at 145 bpm ~ all of these things are signs of FETAL WELL BEING!

GROWTH ULTRASOUND


NON-STRESS TEST

All Malaysia would give us today was a little wave - look at those chubby little fingers.  She wouldn't allow us to see her beautiful little profile today even after all the shaking of her momma's belly.


I ask for this next picture so that you all could see a picture of one of the many CYST's that are on Shamara's placenta.  It is the black bubble outlined in white/gray color that has the word CYST written in the middle of it.  There are many many of these on one side of the placenta and this is what the issue is.  However, God is allowing Malalysia to get what she needs to continue to grow healthy and we are so THANKFUL!

Still Week 31

Today we went back to Phoenix Perinatal Associates (PPA) for your 31 week checkup which included both an ultrasound and stress test.  Such good and comforting news...  We saw Dr. Lin today, and she was such a positive spirit.  She told us that everything was still looking very good and that next week they were going to do the Growth Ultrasound again to see how much Malaysia has grown.  She also informed us that if for any reason her growth had fallen beneath the 10% mark then they would probably put you back into the hospital for more constant monitoring.  Dr. Lin also said that as we are fast approaching your 32nd week, they as doctors get super excited because to them in a HIGH RISK Pregnancy (which yours definitely falls under that category), 32 weeks is FULL TERM.

...but that's next week, for today we are excited to report that we have a very active 31 week old baby girl, whose heart rate is going strong at 144 beats per minute...  You were having a few constractions but they weren't to concern about that, but did tell you to just be aware of them and of course if they increased in any consistent pattern that we needed to call in.

GETTING READY FOR THE ULTRASOUND... love that 31 week Belly!





STRESS TEST...

Just look at our little sleeping ANGEL!



Awww, look at that perfect little ear and can you see her little hand sitting on her shoulder... we could actually count her 10 little fingers.

The technician told us that she has lots of hair... I'm not sure that I believe this but in the picture below, can you see what looks like rolls of skin?  We'll that is actually rows of curly hair, IMAGINE THAT!

Week 30 Stress Test & Ultrasound

WE'VE MADE IT TO WEEK # 30 - thank you to all of our friends and family who have been continuing to cover Shamara and Malaysia in prayer. The doctors wanted so badly for her to get to 30 weeks and beyond and we've done it. The 1st three pictures shows Shamara getting the NST - Stress Test again, where they are monitoring the babies heart beat and responses to any contractions. She passed again with all GOLD STARS!

SHE'S SUCH A "DIVA" EVEN WHILE PREGNANT!!!

I have to insert here that during and since our hospital stay we have had the most precious people take care of us. If you were to look up the word FRIENDLY in the dictonary, I am pretty positive that you would see a picture of the doctors, nurses and staff from Phoenix Perinatal Associates - every single one of them that is except the one in the picture below. Her name is JACKIE and I know without a doubt that if you were to look up the words UNFRIENDLY, INHHOSPITABLE, FROSTY... you would see her picture because I already did it and it was there. Haha! Seriously, she was unfriendly from the moment she walked out into the lobby and called Shamara's name. Now you know I had to say a little something to her and when we were all done and went to the desk to check out, I TOLD ON HER and I also filled out the nice convenient survey that they ask you to complete after each visit. I was writing so long that Ken leaned over and said to me that I could write on the back if I needed to too (funny guy).

Ultrasound & Stress Test

This is our first STRESS TEST, to make sure that the baby is not in any type of stress and that her heart beat is still going strong. Also to monitor any contractions that Shamara may be having and to see how the baby responses to them.






Look at that strong heart beat...

...and here is the little one that so many of you are praying along with us for, she gave us a scare a couple of weeks ago when the ultrasound doctor thought that she would be arriving much sooner than anticipated.  But God has seen fit to listen to the prayers of His children and have this little one stay put for a little while longer.  Keep the prayers going up as Shamara is restricted to bedrest with bathroom and refrigerator privileges only.

ULTRASOUND # 5

Today we had your 5th ultrasound and other than our little girl still being small, all other measurements where GOOD!  They did see some bubbles / cysts on the placenta but thought that this was something that normally occured in some pregnancies.  We did have to see Dr. N again but we did as Dr. Y instructed and kept our conversation / questions to the bare minimum and saved them for Thursday's appointment with Dr. Y...

11 WEEKS and COUNTING...

Our baby, only about 11 weeks pregnant and her little tummy is starting to show the secret that lay inside it.  As I sit here typing this, I am filled with so much excitement.  This morning I went along for a doctors appointment with Shamara and Ken, we had an ultrasound done. I didn't cry but I sure could have as I watched my baby lying there watching her baby move around inside her womb and to feel Ken's excitement, WOW!  Memories came rushing back of the joy and uncertainty I felt when first learning that I was going to be a mommy. It was a beautiful time and I can't express enough how deeply touched  I am to have been welcomed to share such a special time with them.

This is day # 78 and you're 11 weeks pregnant! You have 202 days or 29 weeks left before you get to hold this precious child growing inside of you. Your are 27.0% of the way there. Our little Kenny (Yes, you heard me correctly!) although only 64 days/9 weeks old is already proudly showing his stuff, so much so that the doctors are pretty certain (not 100%) that you are having a boy, destined to make his debut around August 15, 2011.  He weighs about 7 grams and is 4.2 cm (just short of 2 inches) from head to toe. The ultrasound today showed all of his measurements to be prefect - and to God we say THANK YOU. He has eyes, toes, fingers, ears, lips... and his heart was beating at 170 beats per minute.

These moments make you look back on your own life... how I met Mark, our dating experience, our own engagement and marriage and then the birth of our own six beautiful and wonderful children. Where has all the time gone, how could we now be expecting our third grandchild...