1 Month Until EDD: Under Pressure!

Thursday I had a growth sonogram for our little baby boy to make sure my abnormal placenta was not hindering his growth. I am happy to report that so far he is growing like crazy! At 34 weeks 6 days along he was estimated to be 5lbs 14oz and the estimate for his "age" was about 4.8-5.5 lbs (he isn't too big for his age but it seems CRAZY!). His body parts are all in proportion and his heart rate was good at about 158 bpm.

I find these 4d ultrasounds creepy but look at his little nose!

His mommy on the other hand seems to be making his life a little more difficult. My blood pressure was 134/100 which is high, not super duper rush to the hospital high but as a regular 120/80 person who has gained 6lbs in 2 weeks which is NOT my usual either, they were concerned that I may be developing preeclampsia. I was tested and my tests came back just fine except for the pesky blood pressure. Friday around 1am I called the after hours nurse because my hands were swollen and I had this dull headache that would not go away. I took some tylenol and went to bed. When I woke up I felt a little better but was taking it easy. My headache came back and the nurse had called back and told me to get my BP checked which I did and it was super high 155/109. I went right in to the doctor who told me that my tests all came back fine for preeclampsia and they believe that I have Gestational Hypertension.

According to AmericanPregnancy.org Gestational Hypertension is simply high blood pressure that develops after week 20 in pregnancy and goes away after delivery. The problem with this is that it can lead to preeclampsia which can lead to serious complications for both me and Oliver. Hypertension can also prevent the placenta from getting enough blood. If the placenta doesn't get enough blood, your baby gets less oxygen and food. This can result in low birth weight.

The main goal now is to get Oliver out as soon as possible. The earliest ideal week for a baby to be born is 37 weeks so they have me resting until that point unless it gets worse. I spent the weekend at the hospital from Friday night through Sunday because my BP had to be monitored but they sent me home to continue bed rest. My follow up yesterday I had excellent pressure of 128/87. Last night while Heather and Beverly were over my BP was high and now as I am typing this I am waiting for it to be time to go to the doctor because my bp is high again, about 145/102 but they can't see me until 3:15 so until then I have to lay down, drink water and hope it goes down but to call if I get any other symptoms like visual changes, headaches, swelling, bleeding or pain.  I really don't want to go back to the hospital unless I am leaving with Oliver in m arms because I am so worried of the effects this has on him even while I am resting.

Only time will tell I guess.

less than 8 weeks left!- Spinach Tortellini with Sausage in Tomato Cream Sauce

I have been in the mood to blog but have not been able to think of something to say so I am defaulting to a yummy new dinner that Dusty and I have been having lately. I got the idea from Pinterest and while I did not follow their recipe I do think it came out wonderful!

Note this is a picture of my left overs the next day but you get the gist...

Ingredients:
2 boxes of Buitoni Spinach Tortellini  (the small boxes)
1 lb of sausage (in links, we used The Godfather sausage from Lowes Foods)
1 cup heavy cream
1 24 oz jar of Bertolli Tomato Sauce
Parmesan Cheese

1- Follow instructions for Tortellini, you will have to boil water with oil in it to cook these
2- cut sausage links into bite size pieces then fry in a frying pan until fully cooked
3- in a sauce pan heat the cup of cream until it starts boiling (warning, WILL RISE QUICKLY) then add some Parmesan cheese (as much as you want) and add the Bertolli sauce, keep this pot on low so it stays warm while your tortellini finishes and when your sausage finishes just transfer the pieces into the sauce!
4- once everything is cooked combine in a bowl and serve!! It is that easy!

You can always sub out ingredients like the tortellini for a ravioli or a penne (I personally prefer the cheese filled pasta) and the Bertolli sauce for a homemade or a hunts canned sauce, really whatever floats your boat and fits your budget. There were plenty of left overs for the two of us and we plan on doubling the recipe and making it during our beach trip for us, Dusty's parents and his sister and her fiance! I doubt the kids would eat it but that is more for me and Oliver for left overs! (you can never have enough options when it comes to second lunch, pre-dinner, fourth meal, etc...ahh the life of a hungry pregnant woman!)