Welcome to the world Tyler Dylan Ellsworth!

My last pregnancy picture at 36 weeks, 6 days
Waiting to head into the OR
Mike says, "We're good to go!"
Tyler Dylan's first actual picture Grandma Ellsworth

Grandpa Ellsworth
Grandpa Breclaw
Grandma Breclaw
Very proud Grandpa and Grandma Breclaw
Close-up!

Resting peacefully
In his going home outfit
Very happy Mommy
Very happy Daddy
Thank you to Dr. Santiago for helping me through the last month of my pregnancy and for a safe and successful delivery!

He's finally here!!!!!! I had my scheduled C-section on Friday, October 17th and God has blessed our family with a healthy baby boy! We welcomed with love Tyler Dylan Ellsworth on October 17th at 12:10 p.m., weighing in at 6 lbs. 9 ozs., 19.5 inches long. He is healthy despite being 3 weeks early and we couldn't be happier! He has blessed our lives in so many ways and it's only day 3! Here are lots and lots of pictures to enjoy!

Baby Update, Vol. 4

Mike and I went to my OB appointment today to have an ultrasound and to hear the results of the weekend labs. Turns out that things are still looking okay with me (my protein levels went down slightly) and Baby so the doctor cancelled our C-section appointment for tomorrow. We are now scheduled for a C-section on Friday and it's final--no chance of going any longer. So it's official--Baby Ellsworth will be arriving on October 17th!

36-week pics

36-weeks pregnant
In the nursery, all ready to go

Here are my 36-week pictures. I feel blessed to have made it 9-months! Mike got everything from the shower put away and organized so I think we are ready to go! We'll find out at our appointment on Monday whether we will definitely have the C-section on Tuesday. There is a chance that if things look good, we can try to carry it out a little longer. We would love to get to 37-weeks!

The roller coaster ride continues...

Mike and I went to my doctor’s appointment today. They found that the protein levels went up to 539 this week, which officially changed my diagnosis from pregnancy-induced hypertension to pre-eclampsia (a much more serious condition). The doctor also did an ultrasound and found that the baby is still doing well. He weighed in at 6 lb. 10 oz., which makes his a little large for his gestational age (which is a good thing at this point). He also did what they call a biophysical profile and determined that his lungs are just “borderline” mature enough to handle the delivery. So after a long discussion on the pros and cons of delivering now vs. waiting it out a little longer, we collectively decided to try to make it one more week. That extra time should almost certainly ensure that Baby’s lungs will be mature enough to handle the delivery. In order to make sure that both of us are doing okay, I will have to have my blood work repeated Thursday and Sunday and I’ll also need to go back to the office on Friday and Monday to have repeat ultrasounds. If we are both handling the extra time without further complications then we will be able to make it to Tuesday, the 14th, in which my doctor has already scheduled a cesarean delivery for 7:30 a.m. He wanted us to understand that things can still change but that is the best plan for now. I’ll keep sharing any major updates.

A scary false alarm

Well I spent last night in the labor and delivery unit at St. Joseph’s hospital. It started when I had one my nurse friends from the nursing home come over yesterday morning to take my blood pressure. She found it was high again, 142/108. I called the doctor to report the reading but he was out of the office for the day. So I waited for close to 4 hours to hear from the attending OB, who recommended I go to the hospital for monitoring. At around 4 p.m. they hooked me up to the fetal monitors and drew some labs. They were also monitoring my blood pressure every 10 minutes and found that it was very inconsistent. Some reading were high, some were borderline-high and some were normal. So the attending doctor decided to keep me overnight for observation. They found that my blood pressure stabilized through the night when I was laying on my sides (stayed down around 110/75). My normal doctor then came in this morning and reported that the labs came back normal and that the baby looks really good so they released me at around 11 a.m.. The doctor wants me to continue the bed rest but to try and stay on my sides as much as possible. Then the plan is to go back for my regularly scheduled appointment tomorrow to have an ultrasound and to find the results of the urine analysis. If they are both good then he will start seeing me twice a week (with also having someone monitor my blood pressure daily). It’s kind of a “wait and see what happens” day-to-day situation but we will know more after the appointment tomorrow. Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and concerns. I’ll update again after we know more.

A shower for Baby Ellsworth

The guest of honor--it's me!
Gift table and scoreboard
Adorable diaper cake made by my mom
Adorable Cubs cake (made and decorated by Sue--Mike was so mad!)
Baseball-themed favors in a diaper

Baby's cross-stitched bib made by Grandma Ellsworth (Sue)
Baby's cross-stitched blanket made by Grandma Ellsworth (Sue)
My mom gave me a whole box of blankets and knitted outfits from my childhood, made by both my grandmas and my mom
Me, Ashley, Morgan and Alyssa
Beautiful oak cradle handcrafted by Great-Grandpa Ellsworth (Matt)

Our over-filled nursery--YIKES!

My mom hosted my baby shower yesterday at the Hampton Inn in Normal. I feel blessed to have been able to make it despite being on bed rest. My doctor told me that it’s the ONE thing I am allowed to do this week as long as I kick my feet up and let everyone come to me. We had a nice turnout of close family and friends and we received lots of generous gifts from everyone who came and even from some of those who weren’t able to make it. I have to admit though that it’s very overwhelming to look into our nursery right now. As I was opening gift after gift, I kept thinking to myself, “How does a tiny little baby need all this STUFF!?” And even worse, “How will we know how to use it all!?” I guess we’ll be like all first-time parents and we’ll learn the answers to both of those questions as we go. Anyway, overall I think the shower went very well and I truly appreciate those people who came, especially those who traveled, and all the generous gifts we received. I also want to thank my mom, who obviously spent a great deal of time and money into planning the shower and Sue and Jean for all the help that they provided her to get ready. Thank you!

Baby Update, Vol. 3

Well, Mike and went for my weekly appointment today. Things started out pretty good. They took my blood pressure first thing and it went down again, this time to 128/78. So we were feeling pretty good about that. Then the doctor did an ultrasound and said that things were looking good. The baby had enough fluid and was still growing—in fact he now weighs almost 6 lbs! Super! The blood work was all within normal limits again. Great! But now the bad news—the results from my last 24-hour urine sample revealed the protein levels are on the rise again. The protein levels went up from 275 last week to 330 this week. The doctor said that it’s not a huge jump but it is reason enough to be concerned. So as a precaution, he wants to have a home health agency come over and monitor my blood pressure and urine levels on a daily basis. Of course, I’ll still have to go back to the hospital at the start of next week to have my blood work repeated and to repeat the 24-hour urine sample. Then next Wednesday (October 8--my birthday), we'll go back for another ultrasound and to go over the lab results. If things are still looking good, we’ll try to make it another week. But the doctor forewarned us that if the protein levels go up again then we will most likely be parents at the end of next week (probably by cesarean delivery)! Mike and I were both somewhat shocked to hear that, especially because it’s SO soon but we are prepared to do what’s best for my health and the health of our little guy. So we are just kind of playing a waiting game now while I do everything I can do to rest this coming week.
Keep us in your thoughts and stayed tuned for the BIG update next week…….