36 weeks

Today marks the end of 36 weeks of pregnancy, and I don't think my belly can get any bigger! Next Wednesday, Jan. 7 will be 37 weeks, which is technically considered a full-term pregnancy. Therefore, it could really be any day between now and Feb. 11 that we meet our daughter. We'll be ready for her at home after this weekend, but I still have a few things to wrap up for the team at work, so my preference is for her to wait until at least Jan. 16. We start our weekly doctor appointments Friday, and we'll start checking progress toward labor.

36 weeks

Can it get any bigger?

A Presbyterian Vacation: Round 2

I never wrote about my October "vacation" at Presbyterian hospital, so I'll do a quick summary before I recap round two... I was very sick for a little over a week in October before we found a doctor who realized that my symptoms were not normal to pregnancy when he found a 6-centimeter mass in my abdomen that ended up being a very dangerous situation for both the baby and me. I was immediately admitted into the hospital on a Friday, had surgery to remove it the next morning and spent the entire next week battling fever and an elevated white count in the high-risk pregnancy ward at Presbyterian of Dallas. The care at the hospital and from home was incredible. My mom spent the entire time in Dallas taking care of both me and Robin by spending time at the hospital when Robin needed a break. When she wasn't at the hospital, she cleaned our house and cooked and packaged meals for our freezer that we have since thoroughly enjoyed and will continue to enjoy after the baby arrives.

I slowly regained my strength (not the energy or focus - it has continued to elude me) and was doing fairly well until Monday, December 22 when I started to feel sick to my stomach again. Convinced that the feeling would go away, I didn't call the doctor until Wednesday, which happened to be Christmas Eve. My doctor's office was closed and the nurse suggested I either go into labor and delivery triage or wait until the office was open on Friday. Since we're still digging our way out of the mountain of my October medical expenses, I opted to save on the emergency fees that we would have assumed in the triage unit and waited until Friday.

Christmas Eve and day were spent relaxing at home -- something that Robin and I both needed.

On Friday, I went into the doctor's office and because of my prior history, my symptoms were not dismissed as "normal pregnancy symptoms." The perinatal offices were closed for the holiday, so we couldn't get in for a sonogram to see what was going on, so Dr. Thurston sent us to the lab to have blood drawn to check my white count. He ordered the results stat so we would be assured of having them back that afternoon.

Robin and I had been cooped up for two days and were feeling a little restless and thought maybe a walk around NorthPark Center would be good for me. We were there a little while when I realized that I had a gift certificate to the Tiffany store that I really should spend. While in the store, I realized I had missed a call and had a message. Thinking it might be my results, I quickly retrieved the message. It was Dr. Thurston calling to let me know that my white count was elevated at 18K (normal is 5K - 10K) and that I needed to be admitted into the hospital that afternoon. Being the emotional pregnant person that I am and not wanting to revisit my experience in October, I immediately started crying -- in the corner of the Tiffany store. At that moment, a security guard walked up and handed me his freshly pressed handkerchief -- a random act of kindness that was perfect for the Christmas season, and a gesture that I will always remember.

After I gained my composure, we hustled home to pack a bag and then checked into the hospital for the night, where I was put on IV antibiotics and then ordered NPO (nothing by mouth) at midnight in case I had to have surgery on Saturday.

Saturday afternoon, I had an MRI to detect if a mass had reformed. I had trouble getting through all of the tests, so the techs were very kind to let Robin in the room with me so he could hold my hand and fan my face. The results came back clear, which let us know we caught the issue before it escalated.

The doctors kept me in the hospital on IV antibiotics through Monday afternoon, still unsure of why I am having problems, but comfortable enough with my reduced (but not yet normal) white count to let me go home with oral medicine.

While I am not feeling great, I am feeling better and we are so glad that the baby seems to be unaffected by my complications. Because I am pregnant, the doctors haven't been able to do any diagnostic testing on me, but I have been assured I will go through plenty of testing about six weeks after delivery to determine next steps.

As for my next Presbyterian vacation... I hope to come home with a nice snugly baby girl as a souvenir!

the lilac room: painting the walls

A video of a daddy's love for his daughter...

the lilac room: progress

The base coat on the nursery walls are finished, but there is still much painting to be done before it is ready! I'll always claim that I can easily visualize concepts, but Robin doesn't believe me (neither does my mom!), so he created a sketch of the nursery concept for me. After a few tweaks and modifications, we came to a mutual agreement with a fun, whimsical theme that we both adore.

final concept drawing for the lilac room
(click on the picture to enlarge)

Robin is taking the next two weeks off for the holidays and started working on his daughter's "daddy-do" list last night. First task: turn the concept into reality with a little help from TI's DLP Technology.

The tree still needs a second coat and he has 3 1/2 walls to go, but he plans to finish painting this weekend. We'll post more pictures once the room is put back together.

a baby shower

This weekend brought a whirlwind of excitement as my mom, dad, sister, aunts and cousins traveled to Dallas to attend a baby shower that our sweet and good friends Beth and Dachelle threw in honor of our soon-to-be newest family member. Since we are so spread out geographically, we don't get to see each other as often as we would like, so it made the shower extra special to have so much of my family there.

It was a small and intimate shower, and Beth, knowing me well, created the perfect opportunity for me to visit with friends that I don't get to see as often as I should. Everybody was so generous and we opened practical, fun and nostalgic gifts, which we just can't wait to use ... it won't be long before she is here!

I don't have pictures of everybody, but a few pictures from the shower are below...

Thank you, Beth for being such a great friend and hostess! I am so lucky to have you, Brandon, Jack and Dachelle as part of my "family!"

Odette (honorary hostess and Dachelle's mother), Pam (my mom), Summer (my sister), Beth (fabulous friend and hostess), Crystalyn, Marsha (my aunt), Kendra (my cousin), Debbie (my aunt) and Kayla (my cousin)


Robin's mom, ever the creative soul, sent a bouquet of washcloths and tiny socks.

Over the years, I've watched my mother lovingly crochet blankets for the special babies in her life, and I am so excited to finally have one!

Dachelle sent Robin a daddy diaper kit that included gloves, tongs, goggles, a nose clip and diaper changing decision dice. I've promised to post pictures of its use.

I had a napping quilt similar to this Mother Goose quilt when I was little (though mine was Raggedy Anne and Summer's was Mother Goose) and my mom had enough fabric left over and tucked away to make one for my first child and for Summer's first child (which probably won't be far behind!) What a special, nostalgic gift!

I was completely overwhelmed with emotion when my friend Adrienne (who lives in Houston) walked in with her daughter, Reese. Adrienne and I were the closest of friends in college and we just don't see each other or talk as much as we should (though I've recently been able to feel more in touch by keeping up with her family's blog.) It was so special for her to come and for me to finally meet her daughter, Reese, who will be exactly one year older than our blessing.


I met Eileen at her wedding soon after Robin and I started dating and she and her husband, Michael, have been great friends ever since. Eileen took most of the pictures during the shower. I think she's hooked on the digital SLR and Robin and I think Michael should get her one for Christmas or another special occasion!


Kalina is my best friend from college and she is like a sister to me. We've lived far from each other since she graduated, but she and her husband, Beto, and daughter, Akassia moved to Plano about a year and a half ago and Robin and I have both enjoyed having them so close. Beto has a great job opportunity in Dubai, so he, Kalina, Akassia and their new daughter, Iliana, are moving this spring. I'm devastated to see them go and hope they will be back in the US soon (preferably close to me!)

My friend, Jessica, works at United Way. We became good friends when she worked on TI's 2006 campaign.

When people ask how I met Leah and Amber, we always have to think and I'm not sure we remember exactly when/where we met, but Amber and I had a funny night on St. Patrick's Day 2002 when we donned green feather boas and set out down Greenville Ave. as the "pinching patrol." This idea, of course, was contrived as we were running the obligatory pre-parade 5K.

Summer and Tonya became great friends in college, and Tonya has since been adopted as a part of our extended family.

I just love this picture... I think Jack has a crush on Akassia

happy thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving from the Roberts and the Holubecs
Thanksgiving 2008 at Oak Ridge

the lilac room in the orange house

We never expected to paint a room in our home lilac, but we did, and it is! At first, we were discussing earthy, neutral tones, but as we've become more and more excited about having a little girl, plans changed.

As things go at the Orange House, the preparation was much more involved than we expected it to be....

Robin and I cursed our 52 year-old drywall as chunks of fell out when we removed some shelves from the wall in the old office/new nursery.

Once again, Robin had the opportunity to test his wall-repair skills.

I added texture to all of the walls to help mask the repairs.

Robin primed and painted the room -- lilac on the top half and a very light lilac on the wainscot.

Though I am still trying to get used to having lilac in our house, the project looks great. However, it is nowhere near finished. We had hoped the ceiling and trim would look okay with the lilac, but it is way too warm and looks awful, so Robin will paint them with a cooler white on Sunday. Once everything has cured and aired out, we'll start painting the wall art. We're looking forward to seeing the finished product and hope to be finished by Christmas!

thirty week ultrasound and appointment

We had what is expected to be our last ultrasound today. I am still amazed at this technology and the level of detail that it reveals. The baby is still measuring near the 60th percentile, and weighed 3lbs, 14oz. Dr. Reinhart assured us that any and all complications are behind us and told us to expect the last two months to progress as a "normal" pregnancy.

After our ultrasound appointment, we had our 30-week check-up with Dr. Nokleberg. These appointments have become fairly uneventful and routine, but this time, I had questions!

A little background... I am set on the idea of natural childbirth (I don't want to be induced, I don't want pain medications and I don't want any intervention unless we enter a life-threatening situation), so we've been taking classes in the Bradley Method. Our class is split between two couples who are delivering at a birth center and three of us who have opted for hospital deliveries. The birth center option is sounding better and better to me - they even have a park they can walk around in during the first stage of labor, and they can eat and drink... luxury! However, I still think the hospital is our best option considering the complications we had in October. When I went to the hospital in October, I was restricted from eating or drinking anything (including ice chips) at 11 a.m. that Friday, because they weren't sure what intervention would need to be done and when. I was put on a saline IV later that day, but on a way-too-slow drip which dehydrated me beyond discomfort. My first sip of water after surgery Saturday morning (more than 24 hours after my last sip of water) was a little piece of heaven. This ordeal started one of my newest phobias - dehydration.

Back to the questions... As you can imagine, my first and most important question was whether or not I would be allowed to at least drink while in labor. It turns out that Presbyterian has a strict policy against this in case a stat cesarean is called. I'll only be allowed ice chips. I wonder if they monitor the quantity? This is reason enough for me to wait as long as possible before going to the hospital! Managing pain the Bradley way is about relaxation and meditation, which I think will be much easier for me to handle if I can at least drink water. I also found out that I won't have to be tethered to an IV unless there is a medical need. They'll just install a saline lock and hook into it if/when the need arises. This is a huge relief for me.

All in all, the visit was good and Dr. Nokleberg expects us to carry to term. She estimated the baby to be around 8 lbs. at birth. She also cleared us for travel over the Thanksgiving holiday, so Robin, Nikko, November and I will be traveling to San Angelo and Oak Ridge to spend time with mom and dad.

Baby Roberts profile shot -- 30 weeks, 2 days

Posing for her close-up. Robin is convinced she has my lips. Right now, it looks like she has his hair.

29 Weeks

We are officially in the third trimester and today marks the start of week 30. At first, it felt like life was moving at a normal pace and that we had plenty of time to sort out the details, but suddenly, the days, weeks fly by with little warning. Robin and I both can't wait to meet our little girl, but we also want her to join us when we have her bedroom put together!

Since my hospital stint, I am more determined than ever to have a natural childbirth, so we started taking classes in the Bradley Method with Linda Worzer last week. The classes are every Tuesday from 7 - 9:30p for eight weeks and so far have been very good. There is no way I can remember everything we've learned, so thankfully, Robin is a great partner who is into the process 100 percent and can fill in where I forget. He especially appreciated the idea of last week's homework -- for him to get a 15-minute massage each night (decidedly a ploy to engage him in the process). Homework was never my forte, but he did get one massage out of it. This week's homework is to start working on our birth plan...

Crystalyn and Baby Roberts at 29 weeks

Just eleven weeks to go!

25 week ultrasound

Because of some complications I was having (more on that later), we were treated to pictures of our sweet baby at just past 25 weeks. My mom had come to visit and help with things while I was sick, so "Grammy Lou" was able to see her granddaughter in action for the very first time. Baby Roberts was very cooperative and even smiled for the camera. Her vitals were perfect, and she measured in the 61st percentile - weighing in at a whopping two pounds. We're looking forward to seeing her again at our next ultrasound on November 21!

Baby Roberts facing the camera and smiling (head to the right)

The sweetest profile we've ever seen!

Boston Vacation

An embarrassing amount of time had passed since I had traveled to Boston to visit Summer and Greg, so Robin and I decided to spend our last pre-baby vacation with our favorite siblings.

It was a short three days, but we packed as much as we could into them. Summer, being the quintessential hostess had emailed us a list of restaurants and activities to choose from so we could maximize our time in the Commonwealth. She had fresh juice and yummy apple pie bread waiting for us when we arrived. To add to her goodwill, she and Greg insisted that we should sleep in their oh-so-comfy bed, while she and Greg took the fold-out couch bed even though he had an achy back. (She assured me this was only because I was pregnant and wouldn't happen again, so we basked in the comfort while it was available!)

Greg had to work on Friday, so Summer, Robin and I explored the De Cordova Museum and Sculpture Park in Lincoln, Mass. I could spend days at the De Cordova. It is the perfect spot to relax, read, picnic. It will be even more fun to visit in a few years and see the gardens and sculptures through toddler eyes!

Robin and Summer playing with one of the sculptures

Sisters at the De Cordova

Long-overdue sisterly hug


Summer's trademark monkey pose

Fun with the sculptures

Baby love

That evening, we poked around Boston proper, enjoyed window shopping on Newbury Street, a delicious dinner in the North End at Monica's and a show at the Improv Asaylum.

On one of my last trips to visit Summer, I was charmed by Rockport. So Saturday morning, the four of us piled into the car and made the hour trip up the coast. Rockport is a picturesque touristy town with cute shops, great seafood (so I'm told) and a charm that is only found in small New England towns. We spent the afternoon lazily poking around and satisfying our cravings for saltwater taffy and fudge.

The Menefees and Roberts in front of Motif Number 1 -- Rockport, Mass.

On Sunday, Robin, Summer and Greg indulged me and satisfied my desire to pick apples. We drove to Honey-Pot Hill Orchards in Stow, Mass, and crowded as it was, I picked until the bag was too heavy for me to carry, and Robin had to lug almost 40 pounds of the tastiest apples back to Dallas! And though 40 pounds seems excessive, they are so flavorful that they have dissappeared rather quickly.

The Roberts and Menefees - with tummies full of apples


We like to share


Robin at Honey-Pot Hill Orchards

It was hard to leave, but we had a great time and look forward to visiting next year with our expanded family. Thanks, Summer and Greg for a fantastic vacation!

Hooray for Wordle!

So I was just recently turned to on a funny little web app called Wordle. Wordle takes any kind of text you give it (copy text, blog or rss feed) and breaks it down into "word clouds". These word clouds are graphic representations of word frequency. The more a word is used, the larger it appears. Common words like the, and, and the like are filtered so you can get a good view of what the text is talking about. You can also tweak the colors, fonts and layout to get the look you are going for.

I experimented a bit and came up with this word cloud for our very own blog here.

After that I fooled around a little more and thought it would be fun to compare Obama and McCain's acceptance speeches at their respective national conventions.



Interesting to see the themes popping up. Give Wordle a try and see what you get.

orthopedic appointment

Today's appointment with Dr. Banta brought mixed emotions. I'm glad to have a better idea of what is causing my pain, but frustrated because there isn't a fast fix.  My diagnosis?  L3 nerve root compression, bursitis of the hip and tendonitis.  The cure?  Since I am pregnant, there is not much we can do other than physical therapy, which I start tomorrow and am scheduled to continue twice a week for four weeks.  I am optimistic that it will bring relief.  I visit Dr. Banta for a reevaluation in four weeks and will know next steps then.

Dr. Banta did suggest swimming, but I am not comfortable being in a chlorinated pool or breathing in chlorine while I am pregnant - it isn't healthy for the baby.  According to The Complete Organic Pregnancy, it's been shown to cause reproductive, endocrine and immune system disorders -- yikes!  Plus -- I'm a little hypersensitive to the stuff.

bum genious

I came home to the best and most unexpected surprise today! Robin and I plan to use cloth diapers for multiple reasons - they are better for the environment, don't have the toxins that disposable diapers do, and they are much less expensive in the long run. My sweet, special sister, Summer, knew of our plans and has been talking with her friends who used cloth diapers about brands, types, benefits, etc...

Summer called while I was still at work and was very eager for me to go home to see if there was a package waiting on our doorstep. My little sister sent us a box full of pink Bum Genius cloth diapers and inserts! Not only that, she claims there are two more shipments on the way.

Thank you, sweet Summer!

little bump

Just a little bump.  That's what Robin felt today when he put his hand on my belly!  Our little girl is really getting strong and for the first time today, reached out to her daddy's hand to let him know she was really there.  Robin said it felt like something lightly flicked a balloon.  And now, our little girl has gained the official nickname of "little bump."

pay it forward

Robin and I are truly blessed to have great and generous friends who enjoy sharing and "paying it forward" when they can. This weekend, we visited two of our closest friends, Brandon and Beth, and they gave us their very lightly used play yard, which we plan to use as a temporary bassinet, travel bed and a way to keep the baby close to us and safe (out of dogs reach) while we are doing household chores. Beth also knows that I am planning to exclusively breastfeed, so she gave me her portable Medela backpack pump, which will come in very handy.

Thank you B&B - we are so grateful to you both and can't wait for our little girl to meet her surrogate aunt and uncle!

Tickled Pink!

four month appointment

Robin and I had our four-month appointment today.  We were both uber excited for our "big" ultrasound that it was hard to wait until 10:30.  

Per Beth's advice, Robin met me at the hospital with a large glass of orange juice.  We were eager to learn if our tee tiny was a he or a she, so I wanted to get a good dose of sugars so the baby would move around and allow Dr. Rinehart, our perinatal doctor, to know for certain what our future held... sugar and spice or snails and puppy dog tails. 

The visit was great and we have it all captured on DVD for any grandparents or new aunts who want to see their newest family member in action.  We saw four chambers of the heart, a good look at the brain, a big belly that's measurements put the baby at eight ounces, four fingers and one thumb on both hands, a well-developed rib cage, the cutest lips we've ever seen and legs and arms that have become strong enough to let me know that it appreciates my good healthy doses of fruit.  The most exciting discovery is that we learned our little one is a she!   

Looking straight into the camera and showing off the cutest hand ever

Our little one's sweet profile

After our ultrasound appointment, we had an appointment with Dr. Nokleberg.  She admitted that her job was the boring one of the day because she could just listen to the baby, while Dr. Rinehart has all the fun at this stage in the pregnancy.  Today, the baby's heartbeat registered at a very healthy 154 beats per minute.   After we talked baby, we talked about me.  My left thigh pain has become close to unbearable at times, and a trip to the mall or grocery store is a challenge because any walking or standing longer that just a couple of minutes is very painful.  It is even so bad at times while I am sleeping that I have woken up in tears and needed to change sleeping positions.  Dr. Nokleberg felt the problem would only increase as my pregnancy continues, so she referred me to an orthopedic doctor who specializes in spinal and hip disorders.  My appointment is scheduled for Sept. 3 and I am eager to learn more about what is causing the pain and if there is anything we can do to relieve it.  After that appointment, I will start physical therapy sessions.

After our appointments, Robin and I stopped for a quick lunch and a cute pink t-shirt for our announcement.  What a day!  For anybody who is expecting in the future: if you plan to learn your baby's gender, I suggest taking off the day of  your big ultrasound.  It was so hard to go back to work and concentrate!

4 months -- almost!

This week is a big week at the Orange House!  We have an appointment with the perinatal associates Tuesday morning for our "big" ultrasound and then visit Dr. Nokleberg for our 18-week check up.  And on Wednesday, we reach our official four-month marker.  

daddy's behind the camera

(mommy's 4 months pregnant)

I've only gained about 6 pounds (I'll have an official number on Tuesday) but I've outgrown all of my pre-pregnancy clothes.  Robin has been a trooper and endured several trips to maternity stores - he's a great shopper!

The pregnancy is going great! Our tee-tiny has become increasingly active over the past couple of weeks.  Robin hasn't been able to feel the movement yet, but I've been feeling it twitch and roll around for about two weeks.  I am eager for the movements to become stronger so Robin can experience them, as well.  It is especially active after I eat fruit (my greatest craving).  With the amount of fruit I'm eating, I have decided this kid is going to be a fairly healthy eater, or refuse anything but fruit (and maybe buffalo mozzarella, tomatoes, yogurt, salsa and hot sauce -- my main cravings and indulgences.)  Hopefully for Robin's sake, the child will gain an appreciation for meat -- he loves to grill and I know he would like to have another meat eater in the house.  Maybe the early appreciation can happen via a more distant osmosis -- it certainly isn't going to come from me!   

18 hours to the land down under...

I took a short trip to Brisbane, Australia for work last week. We went to observe some students using one of the calculators I've been working on. In all the trip was pretty good  even though I didn't really have much time to explore. We arrived at 6:30 AM on Sunday and headed to Redcliffe (a very quiet coastal suburb of Brisbane).  We had the day Sunday to explore and keep ourselves from falling asleep so we could adjust our internal clocks (Brisbane is 15 hours ahead of Dallas). 

Just as we arrived, a pair of Rainbow Lorikeets flew right in front of me. The weather was fantastic! Sunny with mid-70's for the high and low-50's for the low. People kept telling us it was too bad the weather wasn't nice for us. I'm trying to imagine how it could have been any better.

There wasn't much surf due to Moreton Island but the water was absolutely gorgeous. 

 

The local flowers were pretty cool, too.

We also spent a little time in Manly (another quiet coastal town outside of Brisbane.)  Manly has one of the largest marinas in Australia.

Sunset coincided with low-tide, which made for some cool light on the water.

There are more pictures from the trip on my Flickr site.