newsflash

Could someone please tell me why I was not informed that Grey's Anatomy went back on the air last week?!!! How was I not made aware of this? There is another new episode tomorrow night and you can bet I'll be getting online to catch up on last week's episode. Um, yeah I don't remember at all what's going on at Seattle Grace after all these months.

updates

Work has been busy this week, hence the lack of postage here. I do have a few updates however.

Isaac went back to the doctor yesterday and his platelet count was at 400,000! That is on the high end of normal, so we are very glad. If you recall he was only at 7,000 a week ago. Thank you everyone once again who prayed for him!

We ended up not making it to the Obama rally Monday night. I was too tired to stay up that late and deal with all the hassle it would have involved. Plus, some friends we were going with had their baby that morning! So of course they couldn't make it, and I just wasn't motivated enough to stay up that late. Pregnant ladies need their rest!

For anyone who still cares what my pregnant belly is looking like week to week, I added a photo yesterday to Sunday's post. I didn't think I was bigger than last week, but maybe I am after all. The kid just keeps on growing--as he should. :-)

26 weeks

How your baby's growing: Your baby now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber), from head to heel. The nerve pathways in his ears are developing, which means his response to sounds is growing more consistent. His lungs are developing now, too, as he continues to take small breaths of amniotic fluid — good practice for when he's born and takes that first breath of air. If you're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days.

We haven't taken a photo yet this week. But I think I'm about the same as last week. I had my doctor's appointment last week and I have now gained 12 pounds total. I thought it was going to be more honestly. Everything is still looking good. I have to get the glucose screening test in a couple weeks. Not looking forward to drinking the nasty sugar drink. Asher is still quite the mover and as he gets bigger, so do those kicks and rolls or whatever it is he's doing in there! It's really crazy to watch my belly move up and down and all over as he moves.

*Photo added Tuesday, April 29*

obama's coming to UNC

Barack Obama is having a rally at UNC on Monday night! I have tickets for Jared and me (they are free). I know it will be crazy, but I think it would be really cool to go. Definitely an historic thing. This guy could very likely be our next President. Hopefully I'll be able to stay up late enough. The rally isn't until 9:30 pm! And we'll have to be there uber early just to get in.

maureen dowd at her best

Maureen Dowd of the New York Times is a fantastic writer. I love reading her Op-Eds. It doesn't matter if one agrees with her or not, she is always clever and creative. Her latest is really entertaining, funny, and full of her creative quips. Check it out: Wilting Over Waffles

in more good news...

Jared passed his defense!!! He's got a few revisions, but he passed! CONGRATULATIONS, babe!

Isaac update

Isaac just went to the hematologist and the diagnosis is for sure ITP. Such a relief. They aren't going to even treat him because in most cases the platelet levels will normalize on their own. He's not currently bleeding and since he's old enough to be careful, they are just going to keep on eye on things and see if he gets better on his own. The common treatment is steroids which have their own set of side effects, so they are going to try this first. He will just have to be really careful that he doesn't hit his head or get injured because he could bleed a lot. The school will have to be notified, and he probably won't be doing any fun playing or recess for awhile. But this is such a relief! We are so grateful it's not anything more serious and hopefully Isaac will be better soon. Thank you so much for your prayers! He still needs them.

prayers for Isaac

Our little Isaac man, my 6-year-old stepson, could use some extra prayers right now. Last night his mom called and said they were on their way to the hospital. Isaac has been having some strange symptoms lately, the latest of which was unexplainable bruising. He went to the doctor yesterday and was told to go to the hospital for testing because it could be a blood disorder and possibly even Leukemia. We spent a worried night waiting for news, praying and hoping for the best, and trying not to let all the negative scenarios get carried away in our minds.

Fortunately, the blood tests show that his red and white blood cells look good so it's most likely not cancer. But his platelet levels were extremely low. The average range is 150,000–400,000 and Isaac's was only 7,000. The doctor says he probably has ITP, which basically means low platelet count for an unknown reason. I guess the bruises are from blood seeping out of the veins. He will be seeing a specialist tomorrow, so hopefully we'll know more then. Poor Isaac isn't allowed to do anything active and won't be going to school this week until we know more. A bad fall could even be fatal.

Please keep Isaac in your prayers. We really hope that it is nothing more serious than ITP, which can be treated fairly easily and often goes into remission on its own. It's so hard to be far away in North Carolina when he's in Utah. It's especially hard for Jared. Again, we are so grateful it's most likely not cancer. Jared has his Master's Thesis defense today too. I don't know how he would have done it if we had had bad news.

I'll keep everyone updated as we learn more. Thank you for your prayers.

perspective

Jared got this info in an email. With all the billions (and trillions!) of dollars that get thrown around in political talk right now, I thought you might find this interesting. Pretty crazy how much a billion really is.

A billion is a difficult number to comprehend, but one advertising agency did a good job of putting that figure into some perspective in one of its releases.

A. A billion seconds ago it was 1959.

B. A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive.

C. A billion hours ago our ancestors were living in the Stone Age.

D. A billion days ago no-one walked on the earth.

E. A billion dollars ago was only 8 hours and 20 minutes, at the rate our government is spending it.

While this thought is still fresh in our brain, let's take a look at New Orleans It's amazing what you can learn with some simple division.

Louisiana Senator, Mary Landrieu (D), is presently asking the Congress for $250 BILLION to rebuild New Orleans. Interesting number, what does it mean?

A. Well, if you are one of 484,674 residents of New Orleans (every man, woman, child), you each get $516,528.

B. Or, if you have one of the 188,251 homes in New Orleans, your home gets $1,329,787.

C. Or, if you are a family of four, your family gets $2,066,012.

By the way, I'm not voicing an opinion on whether New Orleans should or shouldn't get $250 billion, and obviously this is not how it would be used, but it is pretty crazy to see how that breaks down for the population.

25 weeks

How your baby's growing: Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. His weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but he's beginning to exchange his long, lean look for some baby fat. As he does, his wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and he'll start to look more and more like a newborn. His hair is probably recognizable now (in color and texture), although both may change after he's born.

I keep on getting a bit bigger everyday it seems. I'm pretty sure I've gained close to 10 pounds in the last month! I have my doctor appointment on Tuesday so we'll see what the official word is then. Other than feeling like I'm carrying more around and having some aches in my lower abdomen, I'm feeling good. My appetite has picked up again, and I eat a little ice cream almost every day! And I don't feel bad about it. If Baby Asher wants ice cream, I'll give him ice cream. :-) As you can see in the photo, Asher is a low rider. I've finally given up trying to wear my normal pants with the elastic trick. Even if they are fine when I'm standing, they dig into me like crazy when I sit down. It's skirts and maternity pants/shorts from here on out!