I had no idea it had been so long since I posted over here!!

Here's the rundown:
Baby Seth is doing great!! He's such a big boy, and a very, very happy boy.
Celia is doing great, and is a fantastic big sister. She loves her little brother so much, it's really sweet.
Celia started PreK a few weeks ago, and she loves it.
Seth started day care in May, and is doing great. I'm back at work too, which has been a challenge, but manageable.
We remodeled our main bathroom, and it looks fantastic. I love being able to take baths again!
We had to say good bye to one of my favorite aunts, who passed away from breast cancer last month.
We also had to say good bye to Zoey, my favorite cat in the whole world, who was 6 and suffering from renal failure (I was there when she was put down).
We took a trip to the beach, and a trip to Hershey, and two trips to Buffalo.

Busy 6 months. Hopefully I'll post more often. Though I do need to change the title of my blog from Celia's mom, since I"m no longer just Celia's mom!

Greetings! Shelby and I would like you to help us welcome Seth Nathan Bidwell into the world. He was born on Tuesday the 19th of Febuary at 5:30 PM, weighing 6 pounds. If you'd like to see some pictures, please feel free to visit http://bidwellfamily.net/images/v/SethBorn/ . I expect that I'll be adding a couple more pictures there in the next couple of days as well.

Nathan posting for Shelby

My OB's office called this morning to work on details for my C-section/tubal ligation. Apparently when he looked at the calendar and picked a date, he didn't realize that he's at the other hospital all day that day! So, we're going with March 4th instead. At 2pm. I'm all scheduled, so let's hope that this is actually going to be the day. I'm curious to see how much it changes (which I completely expect it to). I'm guessing for the week earlier, once we see how my sugars are effecting everything. I'm being as good as possible, but sometimes it still doesn't matter.

I think I have to take Celia to the dentist tomorrow. She fell at school and hit her mouth on a table in the "housekeeping" area of her classroom. It was a plastic table, but she definitely got herself good. She's got a bruise/blood blister under the top of her lip, and her tooth is loose. Thankfully there was no blood, and she seemed fine afterwards (they called to let me know it had happened, but that she was not crying and acting like normal). So I picked her up at around 4:30, and relaxed with her some. Dinner was chicken nuggets, and she tried to take a bite and started crying saying that her mouth hurt. I'll call tomorrow and see if I can get her in to have her mouth checked out. Hopefully it's nothing, and I"m just being paranoid. I just didn't like that she cried when she took a bite of her chicken.

I saw my OB and MFM yesterday, and all looks good for now! We even scheduled my C-section and tubal ligation for March 5th at 9:30AM! I have a date! At least that is the latest I'll get to meet this little guy. My MFM seems to think that 37 weeks is a more likely goal, with some of the effects we're seeing from my sugars. But the OB can't schedule sooner than 38 weeks without reason. So, let's hope for March 5th!! I'm so excited!!

So apparently there was an ice storm in Buffalo today. Nothing too bad, but enough to ground all of the planes. Which really sucks, since my mom was supposed to fly down for the weekend for Celia's birthday party. She tried everything, a later flight today, early tomorrow, and there is NOTHING. So, we'll see her in a few weeks. Celia took it surprisingly well, considering she was SO excited to see Grammie today. I did try to make it up to her though, by picking her up early, taking her for a hair cut, lunch, and ice cream. Ice cream heals all!

And tomorrow, it's ChuckECheese! Oh boy is this going to be a fun weekend. ;-)

I saw my OB this morning, and he told me to up my dose to 20mg with how I've been feeling. Now I have been doing this about half the time, so maybe it will help.

He also wanted me to move up my appointment with Dr H (my MFM) and his office called over and got me in TODAY at 10:30!! I guess you throw the words "possible preterm labor" around, and slots magically appear. Thank goodness. I'm curious to see what's going on in there. My fingers are crossed for a nice long, closed cervix.

And the good news- he said that next appointment in 2 weeks, we'll schedule my C-section/tubal at Shady Grove! He said it's so much closer for me, so why not? I loved that! Apparently the new rooms are really nice too- they just opened up a new wing. And this way, Dr. H can also be involved if necessary.

Then I saw my MFM, and waited what felt like forever! I got back, and they first checked my cervix, which is 3 cm, so nice and long. There is a channel of fluid around it though, which apparently is a sign that I've been having lots of contractions. Which I still am! She said to head home after the appointment (which I planned to do anyways), lay on my left side, and stay there for the rest of the week and through the entire weekend. That should give the increased medication enough time to really start working, and I should be much more comfortable. I asked her if I could still work from home this afternoon and tomorrow, and she was fine with that, as long as I'm laying down. And she was pleased that I'm working from home most of the time from now on. She said between that and the meds, I should be feeling much less discomfort. I can't wait for that to happen!! And if the meds don' thelp, to call my OB and switch to something else. But I'm almost 32 weeks, and she said that after 34 weeks, they usually don't do too much to prevent labor.

Oh, and the other surprise?? Apparently the baby is head down!! He's not breech anymore! Yeah!

Well, the medication is helping, but I'm still having quite a few contractions. I'm curious to see what my OB says tomorrow. Definitely not comfortable sitting, standing or walking for more than 20 minutes or so. I've worked it out so I am working from home most of the time, and only going into the office a few times per week for a few hours. At least for this week. If I end up on bedrest, I'll have to go straight on disability and stop working. Not the best situation, but if it's best for the baby, I'll do it.

This has been the longest week I've had in a long time. Tuesday morning I was feeling a bit crampy, but didn't think of it. By the afternoon, it was much more constant, so I called my OBs office to see if I should be concerned. So they bring me in, check me out, and send me straight to the hospital to be monitered. After 5 hours, an IV with 2 bags of fluid and 2 shots of Ter.butaline, they sent me home on 2 days of bedrest. I was to follow up with my OBs office on Friday, unless the contractions/cramps started up again. Thursday morning I was having a bit of cramping agian, but only every half hour or so. After lunch, I went to lay down and noticed that they were contractions, and they were about 8 minutes apart. I was supposed to call my OB if they were 10 minutes apart or less, so I called. And spoke with my doc, who sent me to the hospital again. Same thing, IV, 2 bags of fluid, and this time only one shot of Terb.utaline, they sent me home, and said I could go about my regular activity until I followed up with the OB. Yesterday, I saw the OB who sent me to the hospital on Tuesday, told her what happened and she asked if they had sent me home with any medication. I said no, she was surprised. So we talked a bit, and she asked how I'd been feeling since I left the hospital, so I told her that I had had some conractions, but not a lot, and not consistently. She was pleased, and said that it was very good news. That the contractions were very treatable with medication. And that I could continue to work as long as things weren't changing (I wasn't dilating), if I wasn't too uncomfortable. But the second I was uncomfortable at work, or feeling like it was all too much, that she'd pull me out of work until the after baby comes. But that if my cervix started to dilate even a tiny bit, that I wouldn't be able to make that choice anymore, and I'd be on bedrest. So I'm taking the meds, and they're helping somewhat, but I'm still having a few contracions here and there. To be expected. I'm just trying to take it easy for now, and not overdo it... in the hopes that I can work as long as possible, and not have to go on disability yet.

Yesterday we had Celia's first parent-teacher conference! And she even got a report card (that was VERY comprehensive!)! Her teacher went over all of the points, and why she gave Celia the "grades" she did (S= secure and D= Developing, and there was another letter that wasn't positive, maybe A= Absent, but Celia didn't get any of these). Anyway, most of Celia's scores were S, and there were some D's thrown in, because they are things the entire class is currently working on. Overall, Celia is a great kid, and is excited to learn. And, is right on target for where she should be at her age. Yeah!!

We were so proud of her, that we decided to take her out to dinner to celebrate last night. Of course, she chose ChickFilA, which is her new favorite place. Then, we went to Target to get a few things, and finally to the Library. She had a great night, and was very excited that we were so proud of her.

We found out yesterday, that we're having a boy!!! No doubt at all- though the child only revealed himself when I was on my side, and they were trying for some better pictures of other organs. I'm so excited!! One of each!! Celia's thrilled too- she can't wait to meet her baby brother!