Roe V Wade; June Medical Services v. Russo

Crying here. 

Full, ugly crying. 

My oldest asked me why my eyes were so red when I emerged from what in COVID times passes as my office (their play room in our house in the woods)

June Medical Services v. Russo went to the side of reproductive rights. Abortion, for today, remains safe and legal in the United States. Roe V Wade faced the first challenge of the Trump court era and, in a 5-4 decision, ruled that  the law made it  "impossible for many women to obtain a safe, legal abortion in the State and [impose] substantial obstacles on those who could." and so was struck down. 

So why cry?  This is a good thing for those who think abortion should be legal and safe. Roberts, the lone conservative on majority decision disagreed with the logic of the majority. Saying instead that "he was bound by the precedent the court set just four years ago when it rejected a similar law in Texas."   Not bound by the Roe v Wade decision, not bound by the idea that abortion should be a legal, medical decision, but by case law from 4 years ago, which he also believes was wrongly decided. 

This court will reverse Roe V Wade, they have signaled this before and did again in a big way today.

Here in the BlueSunday household we have been debating our birth control situation. I don't want to prevent a pregnancy. We have resources for one more, would love another (and odds are slim I'll get pregnant anyway). But the abortion cases pending and sure to come have me waiting. If I were to have another child with T18 or similar, I would make the same decision. I think that decision will be taken from me in the near future.

now the eyes of my eyes are opened

Liberty will be6 MONTHS old in a few days. I promise most of this was written a long time ago! I wanted to write this birth story before it starts to soften around the edges and blur out. 

38 Weeks - 41 Weeks
Consistent contractions, discomfort but no progression. I was deeply uncomfortable and just ready to meet Liberty. My last day in the office was September 27th. I got things ready at home very slowly seeing that I was enormous and cranky. It took me until 10/9 (day after U/S due date and day before midwife due date) to find the homecoming outfit, which I used for each of the kids.

Starting at 40 weeks I had to have an NST every 3-4 days. I started the appointments on Wednesday the 10th (due date). There was also an ultrasound that day, the male MFM I like was on and said everything looked great. When the NST went well also, we scheduled another NST for Friday the 12th (2 days later). My midwife didn't want me to have to come in on the weekend, which would have meant NST in L&D and not in the office (so it would take forever!).

I brought hub with me to the Friday appointment in fear/hope I would actually be in labor or be sent for an induction. I joked about mainlining some caffeine so my BP would be high and I would force an induction. (I didn't do that!). I wanted to go to a friend's baby shower on Sunday, so I didn't mention an induction (also a weekend delivery didn't seem ideal). I spent the weekend NOT in labor, walking around, bouncing on a ball and hoping the irregular contractions would start to become regular and real. No dice. I did get to the baby shower and loved watching everyone's face when they asked me when I was due and I got to reply "last week".

October 16th
Tuesday at 40+6 was my next NST and ultrasound.  I wanted to treat that morning as our "last day as a family of 4" and take a bunch of pictures. Instead, Hub and I got into a giant fight about nothing because I was stressed and hormonal.. and because he was wrong. Yeah... say that. We ended up leaving without taking pictures, I cried in the car and we turned around and took them. I was SO SURE I was in early labor (even though there were no differences in the contractions I was having or the way I was feeling generally. But hell, I was 41+1 (by first ultrasound) with my THIRD. So done.

41 weeks 1 day

Last family of 4 pictur

Anyway, I was super late for my ultrasound and they were like "I don't think we can fit you in" and I was like "I have NEVER been seen here within 30 minutes after my scheduled appointment time and I am NOT 30 minutes late." They fit me in. I honestly don't think I would have been seen any earlier even if I was there when I was supposed to be. Happily, everything looked great to the ultrasound tech (and to me). They told me they were going to get the doc, but she never came. It was supposed to be... Next Tuesday. I swear she just won't see me. They said she "looked at the scan" and everything was "fine". Whatever. Then I went down for the NST, which was also fine. My midwife wanted me to come back the following day or the day after for induction. My ultrasounds had always had me due 10/8 so I was getting to be REALLY late. I had really wanted to go into labor on my own, so I went with Thursday. I was booked in for 7am Thursday the 18th!

I was super mad that I was still not having a baby and booked an appointment to get my hair cut and highlighted. The stylists and receptionists and basically everyone asked me when I was due. More laughter from me when I got to say "I'm 9 days late". They looked at me like I was a bomb. 

I took Wednesday off (yes I worked TWO JOBS [from home] until well past my due date. And yes, I get maternity leave. I'm just a glutton for punishment). I tried to relax, but it was not so easy! My in-laws offered to keep the kids overnight, but I wanted them home for one more night of just the 4 of us. They were nice enough to come over super early in the morning: 5:30am.

Night before induction!

It was tough to sleep, so I was tired when we got up at about 5:15 to get ready to head to the hospital. I showered and was just making tea when the phone rang- induction was off due too many women already in L&D! I was told to walk around and call back in a few hours. UGH

My in-laws were already over when we got the call and so hung out with the kids. Hub and I tried to watch a TV show. I bounced on a ball. Nothing happened. I called the midwife a few hours later and she said go walk around and come in if anything happened. Otherwise, come in in a few hours. There was a strong smell in the house, hub was wrapping up a project in the basement- and I wanted to leave. It was too cold to walk outside, and Kins had forgotten his backpack. We used that as an excuse to go to my in-laws and then go to the indoor mall by their house to walk. We walked for about 2 hours, until lunch time. I bought myself some presents at Sephora and Kins and hub hung out at the Lego store. We decided to be in the car by noon, heading to the neighborhood our hospital was in. We said bye to the kids (and my in-laws of course) and headed in!

I tried calling from the car, but couldn't get through (annoying). I tried calling the midwife directly, but she was delivering. We decided to have a quiet lunch together and then call. We went to the Green Briar and I had BBQ Chicken Tacos, they were worth the discomfort later in labor! We got back in the car for the drive across the street we could have walked- even almost 42 weeks pregnant! but we wanted the car in a longer term lot.

I called the L&D floor and they said to come on in! I checked in with registration which took FOREVER. In the time I was sitting the contractions poofed. OF COURSE. I was terrified I would be sent home. We got up to L&D around 3pm and settled into our room (NOT the room from when I delivered MG and Kins sadly) . They did vitals and signing of documents and other boring stuff. I texted my photographer letting her know I was getting checked out.  me being me, I also texted my mom. My colleague’s sister works as an L&D nurse and she was on so she came in and helped set me up. Unfortunately she had a split shift and would be leaving not long after I came in and coming back around 2am.  Her replacement for the night was Kate- who delivered Kins! That felt like good news.

Better news- I could stay! It was finally baby time!

I got changed into my gown (but not before snapping this pic!) And checked dilation. I was just at a 2 as I had been for over a week.

They needed to do an hour of monitoring and then they could start Pitocin. Mom and I had a few back and forth texts and calls about when she should leave work. I told her when I started the drugs we could figure it out. Hub and I played cards. They started the Pitocin around 4. I was contracting without being able to feel them for about 2 hours. I took this picture when I had my first noticeable contraction.  6pm!

My mom stayed at work until she was done at 7, then she and my dad headed right over. I was totally fine waiting for them and hub and I were chatting with Shirley (photog)- and explaining her presence to the docs and nurses as they came through. I think I mentioned before but will again- mine was the first photographed birth at my hospital. I think everyone thought I was a little nuts but no one said so.

I got out of bed and onto a ball just 20 minutes or so after starting the Pitocin. I sat on a ball and stood and swayed intermittently. Not so much in discomfort but in the hopes of getting things moving. I was attached to an IV pole, which is super annoying so I didn’t really walk around. At least I was GBS negative so my mouth didn’t taste horribly like with MG.

8pm came and the Red Sox- Astros playoff game started. Sox were up 3-1 in the series, so if they won, they were going to the World Series. We watched intently. ‘We’ being everyone else (including the nurses) and me up until may be the 4^th inning (Sox we up 1-0 starting in the third). Then contractions got real really quickly. That was the pattern with me. Induction, fine fine fine fine, ouchie, HOLY GOD I’M GOING TO DIIIIIEEEEEEEEEE

I was sort of joking around and then went silent when I had a contraction. Then I would resume talking as if I hadn’t just stopped for 1-1.5 minutes. It must be odd to watch labor. It was starting to be truly painful when I got the overwhelming urge to throw up. I had previously told hub if I said I needed to vomit he had to get the epi for me. No repeat of Kins thank you very much. So I said “I’m going to puke” and hub was like “Get the nurse” I was like “but first a bucket!”. I didn’t actually throw up. I don’t know how I managed that. The wait for the epi was loooonnnnggggg while I was waiting there was a woman (no joke) mooing in the room next to me. It's irrational now but at the time I was like “Bitch, please. I am having contractions of death and I’m nice and quiet. Get the epi or STFU”. Spoiler alert- she was still mooing when I delivered AND WHEN I LEFT THE FLOOR! (~7 hours of mooing)

So I waited for an epi for about 40 minutes. It was tough, but I knew relief was coming. Contractions were every 2.5-3 minutes and lasting 1-1.5 minutes. The nurse offered to turn the Pitocin down but I wanted baby OUT so I refused. A little natural labor never hurt anyone (said no one ever. It hurts). Finally the anesthesiologist came- a senior doc and a med student. They were all business, nothing like Doctor Crush sadly. My family and Shirley were kicked out but Kate the nurse was amazing and set me up with a table and pillow and held my hand. I was told to let them know when a contraction was starting so that they could pause their work. The med student was told to talk through the entire procedure (they did ask if I was ok with him doing the procedure and talking through it- I am interested in medicine in general so I told them to go for it). After a few minutes of stopping frequently for fairly intense contractions we turned down the Pitocin. It took a very long time to actually get the epi in. At one point I jumped a little and they were like “Contraction?” and I was like “no, I can hear yelling down the hall- someone got a 3 run homerun but I don’t know who it was!” Lots of laughter.

Around 10:40pm, after about 30 minutes the epi was in and I was SO HAPPY! He did an EXCELLENT job. I was able to move my legs and feel when contractions stopped and started but I wasn’t in pain (I couldn’t feel ANYTHING with kins). I didn’t get a bad taste in my mouth (that happened with MG). I got checked and was a 6. I was a little disappointed, thinking I was further along. They asked if they could break my water, and I said sure. The amount of fluid was astounding. Hub said it basically exploded and the nurse jumped back. I guess that's why I was so large! My belly looked so crazy! as usual he was way on my left side and moving up a storm. 

They called my family back in and I drank a tea (Labor runs on Dunkin’!) 

Shirley Anne Photography

The 3 run homerun was the Red Sox (yay!) and the Astros scored one so it was 4-1 by the time everyone was back in the room. It was mid-8^th and I was totally relaxed. We watched the end of the game and celebrated when the Sox won their way into the World Series.

Red Sox Win! Shirley Anne Photography

Once that was over, my mom asked if we would be having a baby on 10-18. Apparently there was a TV show that said 10-18 was a lucky day to have a baby (but then it actually wasn't because the child born on that day was drafted into Vietnam.. but I digress).  It was about 11:45pm and I told her that though I labor quickly, that was fast even for me. 

I was having a fine time, feeling good. Nurse Kate is AWESOME and was like.. I think I'm going to check you and when everyone but hub left she was like "you need a catheter. Your bladder is so full" They did the catheter and hub laughed there was SO MUCH in there. (Theme of the labor too much fluid!)It was more than a single bedpan. That's what I get for drinking a large tea when I wasn't supposed to be having anything AND was on a lot of fluids. 

As hub was laughing and urine was draining and nurse was changing to the second bedpan baby just slipped right into position. It was like he was going down a slide. I felt and saw him just slip from being left and high to center and low, low, low, low (applebottom jeans, boots with the furrr). Nurse Kate literally said "woah, let me check you". And she did and..

It was baby time! It was not quite 1am, barely 2 hours from the completion of the epi and being checked at a 6! I guess they knew I labor fast since the whole team came in before a single push. The doctors on call came in (a resident and attending), a nurse for the baby, my mom and Shirley in addition to nurse Kate, hub and me. 

I started pushing at 1:16am and baby Cameron was born at 1:19am! 2 contractions! When I pushed there was even more fluid apparently. Which makes my size make sense as he was a very normal 7 pounds 14 ounces. I just KNEW he would be a boy :)

Cameron is perfect and awesome and adorable. We are overjoyed with our family:

Shirley Anne Photography

Shirley Anne Photography

If you love birth pictures (as I do!) you should follow Shirley Anne photo on instagram AND you should let me know if you want to see my birth photos- I have them password protected on a blog for birth picture lovers. (no "money shot" nothing super bloody or otherwise graphic. lots of boobs mostly)

I always forget that I had a little complication after birth where I was still bleeding after a few hours and it turned out my uterus wasn't contracting properly. They had to reach in and remove a clot. Luckily the nurses realized something seemed off and took care of it. It HURT though. The epi was long worn off I just about crushed one nurse's hand. I then had to stay in L&D even longer. I didn't get to the postpartum floor until almost 5am. We then took a family nap until 8. 

The kids loved their little brother from the start- but they are both asking about the "next baby". Hub is not even a little amused. We're a family of 5 and are planning to hold that line. 

Going home!

i thank You God for most this amazing
day:for the leaping greenly spirits of treesand a blue true dream of sky; and for everythingwhich is natural which is infinite which is yes

(i who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun’s birthday; this is the birth
day of life and of love and wings: and of the gay
great happening illimitably earth)

how should tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing any–lifted from the no
of all nothing–human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?

(now the ears of my ears awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)

e.e. cummings
1894-1962

Introducing.....

Mr Cameron Eugene!

Shirley Anne Photography 

He was born after an induction at 41 weeks 4 days (eeeekkkkkk)   Labor was quick and easy and I’ve decided that I just don’t go into labor on my own. I was a bit disappointed that I didn’t get, and now never will get, the water breaking and rushing to the hospital moment, but having a safe delivery was obviously paramount.

I cannot believe I am the mother of three living children. Holding Cam and watching my two “big” kids play at the moment and it still doesn’t feel real. He’s 11 days old now and still all sleepy newborn sweetness. I’ve done this enough to know these early days fly and am trying to enjoy it all knowing my childbearing years are over. (I’ve already asked Hub for one more and he looked at me like I was out of my mind)  To be fair, I doubt I’ll want another in a few months.

Birth story to follow but in short we had a planned induction that was pushed back several hours, prodromal labor for almost 2 weeks, a pitocen induction at 3cm, epidural at 6cm and delivery 2 hours later. Cameron is perfect, loved by all. We had a photographer at his birth and it is literally one of the best things I’ve ever done. If your on the fence about it- DO IT. I’ve only gotten the sneak peek but I’m in love:

Shirley Anne Photography

Shirley Anne Photography

38 Weeks 6 Days

(I am so grateful to be pregnant)

I hate being pregnant SO much.

I am burning with heartburn, want to vomit, have insomnia (yet am so tired) and am GIANT.

MG's birthday was Friday (how is my baby girl TWO?!?!) and her party Saturday. I had been hoping to make it through those days and into October before baby arrives. Well we're here. Let's get a move on, baby.

Our photographer has been on call since Thursday.  (Did I mention I hired a birth photographer? I did. I'm VERY excited. I love labor/ birth). Though I have been having a lot of contractions, they aren't consistent so I haven't let her or the hospital know yet. I have an appointment tomorrow and will have them check me. Hoping for some progress (I was a one when I was checked a week ago based on the same fake contractions).

The good news is is that my midwife is back from her vacation- she takes the same two weeks every year. 2 years ago, it was the week before and the week of MG's birth. This time it appears she'll have just made it back.

ugh. Come on baby. Or at least give me a break from these contractions!

Burn Baby Burn

There are some tough-to-look at pictures in here. If you're squeamish- stop here!

The two cutest little kiddos on the planet! (so the preview isn't graphic):

Back in January, we had quite the vacation. The surprise baby was conceived, but the day after that my poor little MG was burned by hot water. It seemed at the time like it was going to be quite bad.

It was a 100% accident, unfortunate location and timing. She was sleeping in her stroller and someone bumped into someone else who was holding water fresh from a hot water machine. The water went right across her whole chest armpit to armpit- fortunately above the nipple line and avoiding her face.

             Day 2 (I didn't take a day one picture)

I wasn't even WITH her when it happened. Hub and I were off the boat in the pouring rain having drinks and chips for a rare moment alone. We get back onto the boat, where you go through security (they check your ship ID, put your bags through and x-ray and walk through a metal detector. When they scan my card and alert comes up "SEE NURSE" . I drop all my stuff onto hub and run through the body scanner (Hub told me after I caused an incident- but I didn't give a flying F). The guy in front of me in the scanner dropped a plastic bag- had nothing in it, mind you, he had been using it as a cover in the aforementioned pouring rain. He asked me to get it for him. I pushed past him instead.

After getting past security, I came around a corner and was right at the medical area. My mom called out for me and I guess I looked terrified (I also didn't realize that's where I was until I saw everyone there). I saw kinsy right away and my mom saw me looking and said "She is fine". Up until that point I thought potentially that: my dad had a heart attack again, some other adult had a heart attack for the first time, kinsy broke his arm, someone fell off the boat. In my mind someone was DEFINITELY dead, or broken, but probably dead.

I ran through the waiting area into the back where I could hear her crying, pulling off my soaked coat and yelling "what happened to my baby?" I saw MG and my dad when I walked in from behind. MG was screaming, standing up in his lap and my dad was holding her and had been crying. She was BRIGHT red across her upper chest with two spots (2 of the 3 second degree second degree sections) already covered with some type of ointment. My dad was like "I'm sorry, I'm sorry". And I'm like "What HAPPENED to my baby"

I got the story above (hot water on her chest). through tears and fumbling around medical staff to get my MG from my dad to me. I was crying (obviously, right) and MG was crying (ditto). And the doctor was like "Mom it will be better for the baby if you leave. You're upsetting her".

Well. Mama don't play.

My response was "What would be best for her is for her to be with her mother. She's upset because she is hurt. She is reaching for ME". I held my baby. Doc didn’t mess with me again (and actually treated MG SO wonderfully. I can’t say enough)

Eventually, and I can't say when, the full story came out. She was sleeping in her stroller and someone bumped into someone else who was hold water fresh from a hot water machine. The water went right across her. My dad and his friend took her clothes off and poured (stolen) cool bottled water across the burned area. They ran her downstairs to my mom (basically on the way), who called the doctor as they brought her down and then joined them. She was essentially in a doctor's hands within 10 minutes of the accident.  They gave her pain reliever (a lot) and were just starting to apply medication and gauze when I arrived. It sounds like my arrival was about an hour after the burn occurred.

We were right at the cusp of being sent off the boat as a medical emergency. In retrospect, I think we would have been sent off if we were in a less remote port of call. We were in Costa Maya, Mexico which we were told is nearly 2 hours from a hospital that could have accommodate us. I left the infirmary with the intent of calling our pedi, and getting off the boat. I was talked down by the pedi and hub, but agreed to just one more day. Pedi said that she was probably better cared for on the  boat than she would be in a rural Mexican hospital and she didn't want us flying. She said burns develop over 24 hours, so no one would know what we were dealing with until the next morning and the boat’s med staff was doing everything she would.

I spent a miserable afternoon (still raining) playing cards and drinking beers.

I didn't get a first day picture, but we needed to bring her back to the clinic the next morning and I took the picture above.

The next morning we went to the clinic really early. We were the first ones there and they escorted us right in. I got my first full look at the burn. The section right above her right nipple was the worst. It was a hole which was white inside, I was told that indicated a third degree burn and that there were areas of second degree burn around it, and more second degree in her mid-chest and under her left armpit. Blisters were forming under her armpit. They put on an ointment and said that we could stay onboard since she was fever free and the non-3rd degree burn area looked “really good”. The burn overall was less severe than they were expecting. They credited the cool water poured on her immediately after the hot and the essentially immediate treatment with the docs. This day we were in Cozumel, Mexico and closer to a major airport and so a major hospital. I wanted to abandon ship (still). I was encouraged by our pedi (who I called back the second they opened) to stay on board, so long as our second opinion agreed. She had me call Boston's Shriners (which has a world renowned burn clinic). They said that everything we were doing is all they would do and they would see us the day after we arrived home. We went to the beach. MG hates the beach and was content to sit in the shade and play with my mom and hub. Kinsy LOVES the beach and the ocean, so I was with him.

We were due back to the clinic on ship the next morning (a sea day) for a ointment reapplication and bandage change. She looked much better across the majority of the burn, it looked more like a sun burn. The parts that were second/ third degree though looked awful. Poor MG. They were able to lessen her bandages to keep the less burned areas open to the air. Unfortunately, it made one section blister. I assume there was a healing blister that we didn’t see rise and start to heal, but when it rubbed on her clothes it tore. So we were down twice on our last full day on the boat and by the end of it she was back in the shirt style bandages.

That night we got our room bill and I was terrified. Cruises are notoriously expensive for clinic care on board (and you know, everything). I’ve heard 25$ for Band-Aids or aspirin and the like. However, they didn’t charge us a cent. Not for the time, the bandages, the Tylenol and motrin bottles they gave us, the ointment, or the percentage of the doctor’s salaries. Not one cent.  I was blown away by their care, regardless of the cost.  That they did it for free was truly surprising and wonderful and only amplifies the gratitude I feel for the care my sweet girl received.

We had one more check in the morning we were heading home (mixed feelings there, sad to leave behind vacation. Happy to get to our own MDs). Burns were redressed and remedicated. They still looked awful to me, but everyone was optimistic about her recovery. She stayed infection-free on board and one of the burns were stating to heal. This is what I was told when one of the second degree burn spots started to bleed. The third degree spot started to pink up around the edges (in the hole of the wound) which was taken as a great sign, and perhaps a sign that not all of the skin was dead inside (which would make it not third degree).

We headed home (long day, as travel days always are) and eagerly anticipated our appointment the next morning. I really can’t say enough about Shriner’s Boston. First off, parking is available and free. UNHEARD of in the city. They have heavy security and check us in and then sent us up with guide. Note to readers: Graphic. No experience I have ever had made me so deeply thankful for the life I have, after sitting in the waiting room of that hospital. The photos they display and testimonials are powerful. Some kids treated there have had devastating injuries. I almost felt self-conscious being there with my girl, who you couldn’t tell her injury in the waiting room (she had a shirt on). One young person had lost her hands and had badly burned arms, a little toddler lacked eyelids and most of his nose – all given over to burn tissue which covered his face.

We were not made to feel as if we didn’t belong there, however. Everyone was compassionate. The care team led us into a room and everyone introduced themselves, an MD (the same I spoke to in my panic on the ship), a nurse, a child life therapist who played with MG while we discussed her accident and a photographer- who took pictures of the burn while she was exposed. I was told that this is so whenever I called, and before any appointments they could look at her pictures and we would all be talking about the same thing. Simple, but smart, right?

They asked us to describe the burn, and I did them one better and showed them the pictures I had taken. They were pleased that I had done so and while each person inspected the photos in turn the MD explained that they like to keep the wounds covered as much as possible, so knowing what it looked like let them prep their tools. Based on the photos they outlined 2 options- one for if she needed significant wound cleaning and one if she didn’t. They told us that to speed care and pain, they would talk to us only minimally, but would recap everything after. I held MG on my lap, who did cry, but not terribly. Fortunately, they were very pleased with the way the burn looked and she needed minimal touching of the burn areas, limiting the crying. They put on a silver pad over the whole chest and wrapped her in a crazy dressing. She did look adorable though.

They asked us to leave the pad on until the next week when we would see them again- 2 weeks after the accident. We were told the two critical windows are the first 24 hours, when the goal is to stop the burn process and 2 weeks after, when they can tell from healing what additional interventions will be needed, if any.

They told us that MG’s aftercare was excellent and that they expected much worse injury given the location, size and method of burn. They said without a doubt the cool water being put on her so quickly and the medical care on the boat saved her from surgery and probably any significant scaring. They said that at the next appointment they would give a better idea of future expectations.

We were supposed to keep hands (and so eyes) off the burn, easier said than done. Over the next several days I took a few peeks. There was signs of healing as it started to scab over. (yuck).

Finally the appointment arrived. We followed much of the same process as with the first appointment, without the introductions. They took off the dressing and the pad and they were REALLY pleased with the healing. They replaced the giant bandages with a small covering just for the part over the nipple (which was bleeding, and they were thrilled). The rest was to be massaged and covered in aquaphor twice a day and whenever it felt dry. The other dressing could come off when the scab was gone.

They said that the majority should heal with no scarring at all. The place above her nipple had a chance of healing without issue, but would remain red for 6 months to a year and would act as a mood ring- reddening when hot or agitated. After that, we would be able to tell more clearly what it would be like long term. They said they doubted she would need surgery as puberty hits and her chest begins to expand, and anticipate needing laser treatments at most if it puckers as she grows. They released us from care and MG picked a present from a treasure chest. (A hand-sewn pillowcase with boats on it. I laughed at the irony)

It's been about 8 months now and she looks GREAT. If you didn't know, I doubt on an average day you could even tell she was burned. If she gets overheated or too cold, has been crying or running laps it does get redder. I think it's SUPER sensitive, even with tons of sunblock and a sun shirt the burn gets red if she’s in the sun (just in one place, not the whole thing). There are 2 areas, the one over her nipple and the one in the center of her chest that are a little rougher than the rest of her. Overall though, she healed REALLY well. We couldn’t be more thankful for the excellent care she received both on the ship (by lay people and medical staff!) and back in Boston at Shriners. 

Go Big...or Go Home!

Go Big OR 

Hub and I have always done things in bunches. He came home from war, closed on our home (two days later!), I changed jobs, he got one and we started TTC within 5 months back in 2014. A few years later we were expecting kinsy, renovating the living room and hallways of our home, I was completing the last of my Master's program and hub headed back to school. So it's no surprise that now we're doing a bunch of big crazy things:

I'm 35 (!!!) weeks pregnant, our kitchen remodel is starting to wrap up (finally), we are both working on major projects at work and..

we bought a vacation home!

Go Home (North)

A few snaps from our new New England Hide-away.

Kids' room

Us on purchase day

* not our lake. 

entry way

Dining area and (empty) livingrooom

Amazing ice cream place down the street

Kids playing out front (have 3 acres, play in the driveway...)

This is the back of the house

"Monthly" Pregnancy Update: 32 Weeks

Commentary: Still working on the kitchen (the pit of sadness). BUT we have walls! with paint on them. And cabinets, without doors on them.

Baby's size: Armadillo 

How far along? 

32 weeks! I can't believe it!

Total weight gain/loss:

I'm up about 13 pounds. Feeling really heavy. 

Maternity clothes?

Yes. I’m HUGE.

Sleep:

Very, very tired. MG still doesn't sleep through the night. It's getting hard to sleep because I'm so uncomfortable. The two combined aren't working well. 

Best moment this month:

Baby was breech at the 30 week u/s but turned at 31. Hoping baby is still vertex at my ultrasound tomorrow. 

Have you told family and friends:

Yes, if I see them in real life. For the most part though, the news isn't on social media or anything like that.

Movement:

Yes, consistent and strong, starting to hurt at times. 

Food cravings:

Chocolate, ice cream, deviled ham sandwiches

Anything making you queasy or sick:

Yeah. still. Always. 

Have you started to show yet:

You know it

Gender prediction?

Boy is my gut instinct still

Happy or Moody most of the time:
Happy!

Bellybutton:
Getting very flat-ish

Rings?
On, but I have taken them off a few times at night- to be fair it's 97 today. SO. HOT.

Miss anything:

Beer, wine, eating a normal amount. Shaving with the ability to see what I'm doing

Looking forward to:

We're buying a vacation home on Friday!!!!!!!!