Third Trimester---28 weeks

Well, we are on the home stretch! Only 10 weeks left at the latest, until we get to meet Owen James! Matt and I can hardly believe how fast our pregnancy has gone. Just a few weeks ago we were counting the weeks away to find out the babies gender. Now, we are quickly trying to prepare the house for our little man. I have been busy organizing our room, while Matt has been prepping the babies room. He has spent the last few days putting up wainscoting, which I have to say turned out great! Good job Dad! Here are a few pictures of the completed, but empty nursery.







Owen weighs just over 2 pounds now and is about 14 inches long! He is a very active guy and according to his dad...he is a cowboy! Matt says that because when he goes to work in the morning he always asks me if Owen is awake. Most days he is, so, Matt figures he must get up early like cowboys do. Great...I have news for him...cowgirls like to sleep in until 7:00.

I have to say other than being diagnosed with cholestasis, my pregnancy has been pretty good. All of that changed last Thursday when I was working at Carol's school. I had this horrible pain in my upper chest, which was all to familiar to me. Yes, you guessed it...STONES! I prayed the pain would go away and that I was just mistaking it for something else (heartburn, indigestion), but I was wrong. I called Matt at lunch crying, which quite honestly I NEVER do. I went home rested during lunch and returned to work. When I got off work, I came home and called the doctor. I went in shortly after, received blood work and a prescription for vicodin. My doctor recommended that I follow up with my gastroenterologist. I called as soon as I walked out the door and the doctor almost immediately called me back. He also knows, just like me, what the pain is that I was describing. I was able to get an appointment to see him the following day, which is pretty fast considering he usually schedules you at least 2 weeks out.

Let's just say I had no problem taking Friday off to make my appointment. By the time dinner rolled around I was starving and the pain had subsided. I choose to take Tylenol versus vicodin. I couldn't stand the thought of my baby getting any, unless it was absolutely necessary. Doctors report Friday: "Oh my god Ashley...it sounds like you have sludge to me." For those of you who do not know what sludge is let me tell you. It is bile, which has began to thicken (muddy like consistency), but passes through the bile duct before forming a stone. Very common during pregnancy do to increased hormone levels. Doctors advice to me, "Ashley you are just one of those patients who produces a lot of bile. If the pain persists call me, but if it passes, just keep moving along." So I guess this is what I have to look forward to the rest of my life...great. Good thing it only comes once in a while!

Next Wednesday we go to our 29 week check up, so I will let you know what the doctor says regarding early delivery. I am hoping he will do an ultrasound and we can get a new 3D of Owen. I can't wait to see how much he has grown! Mom and Dad are getting very anxious to meet him!