It's a ...

[linda]

Well the big news is in....IT'S A BOY!!! :D Things are looking very good and the only concern was the blood flow on my right side it was flowing fast the left side seemed fine. I will go back in 4 weeks for my next check up. Hopefully everything will be fine then too...THANK YOU all so much for all your thoughts and prayers. I couldn't do this without you!!!

[Kathy Schneider]

Yeah, congrats! I'm glad things went well. Have to start that boy shopping again, right?! Keeping you and Kirk in my prayers. Talk to you soon.

[Aurora]

Congratulations Linda great to hear you had a good checkup!!

[linda]

Thanks Ladies, it was so scary but in the end we left with big smiles. Of course Kirk's was bigger beings I was ready for a girl this time.

[JenniferBrown]

I'm so happy for you Linda. I have to be honest here and say Boys are MUCH EASIER to handle than girls though. :) My daughter is only 8 and full of girlie hormones already! Oiy!! It's NOT easy... my son's are super easy to handle though. :) Congratulations!!!

[Lindzy Foster]

YAY! congrats on the good check-up and the news on baby boy! i wish i was this far along! i went shopping yesterday and was looking at all the clothes wondering "hmmm???" lol........keeping you in my prayers!

[Lyssa Sauer]

SO glad to to here baby is looking good and that you are recieving another boy. I will keep you in my prayers as always. Hoping thing stay good for you! Hugs Lyssa

[linda]

Hey Lyssa,

I sent you a PM with our address. Funny thing is we tossed around wanting to name a little girl Payton but we already have Elijah so I didn't want the connection to the Mannings. LOL...now we need to find some boy names. We've thought of Kaden, Kegan and Braden at this point...none of them are screamin' at me though...

[Lyssa Sauer]

I really liked the name Carter, and Carson. WE tossed those around. Payton was suppose to be Carson but when he was born on Superbowl it changed lol. The stories behind our kids names makes me laugh. Trystan is off of Legand of the falls my husband favorite movie. His was decided 2 weeks before he was born because the movie channel played that movie a dozen times and I kept bugging Wayne about a name. Nataley's name came when I took and spelled Trystans name backwards and that was the closest spelling to it. I had her named picked out like 3 months before she was born. Then this one we wanted to assoicate him with his heavenly brother so Ely came from the fact the Peyton Mannings brothers name is Eli but that they are both Quarterbacks too. I know laugh at me. I do!
Anybody else want to share their childrens story names?

[Brooke]

Hi Linda,
Wow, another boy!!! Your going to be following in my footsteps Linda. Congratulation. So glad to hear that everything is going well for you and baby. If you remember I just had my third boy and named him Caden also but spelled with a "C" obviously. Carter is a good name too, Lyssa. That is my 5 year old son's name. You two have great taste in names. Cute stories also Lyssa. I unfortunately dont' have any storys that go along with the picking of my children's names only their middle names. Each middle name is either after my husband, or grandpa's. Anyway, good luck to both of you in your upcoming delieveries!!!

Love,
Brooke-Mommy to Carter-5, Ethan- 2 1/2, Caden-11 weeks, &

[Jessica VV]

Congratulations Linda!! So glad things are looking good!

We didn't start talking about names until 4th of July weekend when I was pregnant with Mark and I was due at the end of August. We both knew we wanted traditional names, but wouldn't let our ideas out to one another!! My husband's 10 year old half sister started listing off boys names in her class and when she said Mark my husband couldn't lie about not wanting that name. Our Mark is actually named after an Uncle of my husband's that he never met, because Uncle Mark died when he was almost 16 from a bad heart valve (this was 40 years ago) and they didn't know he had a bad heart. Uncle Mark went into the hot tub after track practice at the high school and he died. We asked my husband's grandmother if we could use the name and she was very happy to let us use the name. We also had Dylan picked out for a name to, just in case he didn't look like a Mark.

Sorry my name story isn't all happiness, but I still think it is cute how my husband's little sister got us to finally discuss names--we were both being very stubborn. The girls that I worked with had named him Cletus when I was pregnant, and the funny thing is was whenever Cletus was talked about everyone knew they were talking about my baby. Cletus still brings smiles to our faces at work.

[linda]

Jessica,

The Cetus story is to cute!

We to named Ethan "Charles" after my grandpa, he'll be 90 the day I'm due with this little guy. I love family names. :)

[linda]

Well I wasn't sure if I wanted to post or not but figured I need all the prayer one can get. My quad screening came back with extrememly high protein and now they are concerned my little man may have spina bifida - even given Friday's ultra sound the blood test wasn't back so the tech did not look at the spine really well. I have my next ultra sound the first week in Jan. so now I have to go through the holidays waiting - this is a nightmare....

[Lindzy Foster]

Linda,
sending you extra prayers for that little guy! i know its the holidays but could they possibly get you in any sooner for the u/s? i know how hard it is to wait for that stuff......big (((hugs))) and prayers for you!

[Brooke]

Linda,

I'm so sorry to hear that there may be something wrong with your little unborn boy. I sure hope that they are wrong, and they can be wrong sometimes. It is really sad that they can't get you in any sooner. Do you think if you explained your past history with Ethan's pregnancy that they would try to accommodate you and get you in sooner to put your mind at ease so you can enjoy the holidays and not we worrying possibly for no reason? If I were you I sure would try. Good Luck. I'll be saying a prayer for you and your family.

Love,

Brooke-Mommy to Carter, Ethan, Caden, &

[Cheryl Haggard]

Linda, Those tests give more false positives than you can imagine. I even had it come back abnormal with Anna-If I were ever to become pregnant again (lol) I would NOT have those tests...
Just my 2 cents...
Cheryl

[Tasha Nicholls]

Linda,

Congratulations!!!


Those tests give more false positives than you can imagine. I even had it come back abnormal with Anna-If I were ever to become pregnant again (lol) I would NOT have those tests...
Just my 2 cents...


I, too, have a very good friend that had a lot of concerns due to the test results. According to the tests, her baby potentially had a LOT of problems... all of which were non-existent when she was born.

I wish they could have given you better news or have brought you back in... they should be a little more sensitive to moms who have gone through a loss before. :( You shouldn't have to worry about this over the holidays! :mad:

You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers!

[Hailey's Mommy]

Linda,

First off Congratulations


I am so sorry about your news..Your new little guy will be in my thoughts and prayers HUGS!!

[Lyssa Sauer]

Linda hon I wish I had something of good advise, but I dont. I agree with everyone else you need to go to your doctor and say hey I need this done now and not wait! If that office wont do it you can always go to another and get a second opinion. I will be praying really hard for you and your unborn child. I have had things with this one set off flag and things have turned out for me and i will be thinking that for you. Also got another name for you I really like the name but it has dibs with a family member so I cant use it but Issac. Praying for you hon for stength and for the test to be full of it! Call if you need to talk! 208-716-2362. Great big HUGS

[marylouise]

Linda, sending you prayers and hugs.

[Aurora]

Big Hugs linda.... I am with Lyssa call the dr tell them they need to put your mind at ease... and in the mean time you can have all the prayer I can muster for your little one =)

[linda]

Thanks Ladies, I know were all praying so diligently. I talked to the doctor yesterday and she looked at everything very closely. She really thinks because my blood was flowing quickly on my right that - that could make my blood results fauls. Another indicator that is looking good is even though they didn't get to measure the spine well, the tech did get a good look at his brain and everything looked good there too. The Jan calandar opened yesterday and she called as soon as it did. I'm in for the 2nd Jan. Really at this point I think the Lord knows I could handle anything so really there is no need to worry my self sick. I think I just needed the day to let it sink in. Now I won't try to worry until then and even if something is wrong well then I know we'll be blessed to have this child regardless.

Thanks everyone - you all are my strengh most times.....

[Aurora]

You are such a trooper Linda *Hugs*

[Lyssa Sauer]

I am so glad that some better news came out of this. Glad to hear they are gettin you in early still praying for you and the baby boy. Remember if ya need to talk hon I am here. Anyways I think you are right in not worrying at this point especially after the review of the baby so. Praying and thinking of you BUG HUGS Lyssa

[linda]

Hi Ladies,

I wanted to give you all an update: I had my ultrasound last week and the measurements looked good. Mason (that's his name) didn't want her to measure his heart so at the next visit they'll try to look closely at that. Everything else looked good.

My blood flow was still an issue so at my regular visit today I talked with the doctor about it. She said sometimes it causes the baby to have a decreased growth rate. However I will say he's growing wonderfully right now so let's just pray it all works out. Due to some other issues I will be having a scheduled C-section the first weekend in May given we don't have other complications prior to then.

[carissa13]

Linda ~ you are so blessed. You are in my thoughts and prayers! ~ Carissa

[Julie Williams]

Yay!!!!!!!!

[Lindzy Foster]

Glad things are looking good! What a great name! does Mason have a middle name? we are having heck of a time picking out any boy names at all lol....((hugs))

[linda]

No middle name as of yet! We had a hard time with just picking a name...

[Kirk Kief]

Sup-er BIG Congratulations! It is refreshing to get Great news among so much traumatic news. I am truly excited for you!!!
As for a middle name, Kirk has a nice ring to it:D

[linda]

Kirk,

You do realize Kirk is my husbands name and we have talked about it!! :)

[Kirk Kief]

Well, then, he'd have the middle name of two great men:D ;)

[Deb Stoner]

what is ethan's middle name?

[linda]

Charles! Charles is my Granpa who will turn 90 on May 10th this year!!! Mason is due May 10th but now they have said they'll do the scheduled C-section one week prior..so May 3rd or so if all goes well.

[Lyssa Sauer]

Wanting to know I am still praying for you and Mason and I think of you tons Lyssa

[linda]

I wanted to share this e-mail I sent to family and friends about our trip to L&D yesterday.

Hi everyone,

I wanted to take the time to share with you may past week. I started to to feel sick on Monday, nothing to big. Come Tuesday I felt like I should see a doctor before I got to sick. Well it was too early, the doctor told me I was fine and to use home remedies, for my sinuses and throat. Come Wednesday I started to get a fever, I was really ache. Thursday morning I stayed at work till about 10am but then decided I needed to return to the urgent care clinic. There they did a nose culture told me I had influenza B, a fever of 101 while taking Tylenol and sent me away with a quarters slip (a doctor's note to stay home) and a prescription. They contacted my OB and he requested I not take that prescription. They called me and told me not to take the medicine and to contact my OB office. I was still in agony with home remedies. By Friday morning after being up all night coughing and leaking (a fluid substance) I told Kirk to go ahead and get Elijah off to school and I would take myself to the hospital near our house. I wanted to be sure it wasn't my water that had broke. As I was leaving Elijah had woke up - it was about 0515. He said, Mom where are you going, I told him to a doctors appointment. I didn't want him to be worried for his Momma - he's my big teddy bear!

I arrive to the L&D department got checked in, the nurse came in and we went over the past few days, I explained that every time I coughed I was wetting my pants severely. She got a tape substance that will give you a positive or negative for amniotic fluid. She tested the fluid and it came back as amniotic fluid, the doctor was not there, so she was called in. Once she arrived I was told my water had broke and that I would need to be transferred to a different hospital that could properly care for a 29 week baby. My heart just dropped out of my chest, Kirk wasn't there, I felt more hopeless than when I lost Ethan. Here I had Mason still inside thriving and the thought of not knowing if he could survive outside of me just killed me. I called a co-worker (and fellow Christian friend) and told her I was being admitted and transferred to UCH. I called Betty and Gary,Jameason and Amy, My Mom, Shasta and the secretary at Elijah's school to make arrangements for him to be picked up at the end of the day. My phone calls were brief as I could barely talk but all I remember saying to everyone was please pray, please pray without much detail just pray. During my time at this hospital I was given steroids to start developing Mason's lungs, they ordered some codeine for my cough as they witnessed first hand this fluid pour out of me every time I had a coughing attack. I called Kirk, asked him to log into my e-mail and get Cheryl's number from NILMDTS. I have become such a strong mom to other woman with more recent losses on NILMDTS and here I was ready to make the most dreaded call to my dear friend Cheryl. Kirk got Elijah off to school, got the number and headed to the hospital. When he arrived I fell into tears just looking into his eyes it was like a flashback from when we were told Ethan had passed. The nurses and doctors were so supportive and said ya know he's got a fighting chance at this gestation, stay strong your going to one of the best hospitals in US for little babies. When there was a brief moment I cried out to God asking him to make this stop, please, Lord he's not ready to be here with us. Please Lord, Please...there wasn't much else I could say. All I could think of was Matthew 26:39 where the word says Jesus went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed. Although I was in that bed the Lord saw me on my face crying out to Him.

The team arrived to transport me to UCH, I arrived and again doctors, nurses, it was a whirl wind. I was already administered the steroids, the Tylenol with coden, (which by now my cough was suppressed which was great), antibiotics, and other things, I don't know everything I was given. They go over all these things with us, how they will do there best to stop me from going into labor that they can sometimes keep baby inside for a few more days even weeks. At most they wanted me to get one more steroid shot that they could give 24 hours after the first one and it continues to work for up to a week. They had NICU coming up to talk to us about how it would work there for little Mason. The doctors did an ultrasound to measure little man's size (you will all be happy to know he's 3 lbs now) and took some samples from me to look under a microscope. The doctors left the room came back about 30 minutes later and said, we have good news. We don't believe your water has broke, we don't think your leaking amniotic fluid. Were sorry sometimes those test strips give false positives. Were sorry this was so stressful for the two of you, but we really believe you'll be ok. They tell us we can go home, but to just stay alert to my body and any changes and to come back if I feel contractions or anything "not" normal.

So as we gathered our things to leave and come home I remember telling Kirk, God had to hear our prayers. Ya know some might say I was just peeing my pants and that was that, but I truly believe that if your peeing your pants you don't go from one hospital to another and you don't get steroid shots for your babies lungs.

When I called my Mom back she said something very profound, she said, Linda I fell to my knee's asking God to take every blessing He had for me this year and to give them all to you today. How selfless for one, but two to know that the people I called where who God wanted to hear cries from. I realized I didn't choose to call you, God wanted you to reach out to Him for me. I hope you know how blessed I am for your willingness to cry out to God for my family. My heart will always remember this day as a blessing and a day of Miracles. To often I think we disregard Miracles for misunderstanding or "false positives." God has all my praise today and may you truly be blessed. I asked the Lord today to give those blessings back to you and to take any from me for you!

In Christ Love Always,

Linda

[Tasha Nicholls]

Wow Linda, I'm bawling my eyes out. I am so glad your prayers were answered and little Mason is still safe inside. I can't imagine your agony throughout the whole ordeal.

Thank you for sharing your beautiful story!

[carissa13]

Linda ~ I don't even know what to say, I can hardly see the screen to type I am bawling my eyes out right now. Thank you God for letting Mason be alright and may he continue to bless your pregnancy and bring Mason into this world safe and sound! You will be in my prayers! I hope YOU are okay after going through all of that! ~ Carissa

[Tammy Councilman]

Oh Linda, that was just absolutely beautiful and wonderful and miraculous..and I don't have any words left but Praise GOD!

Praying for continued healthy pregnancy for your sweet little man. God bless you and your little one.

Tammy Councilman
Portrait Expressions
www.portraitexpressions.org (http://www.portraitexpressions.org)

[linda]

Thanks ladies! I'm still leaking this clear fluid today - all I can do is hope that it's nothing. Please keep praying for us that we continue to be ok.....

[Cheryl Haggard]

Linda,
I got your email early this am. I am so happy to hear that things are going well...You are always in my thoughts and prayers...Call me anytime to chat...Nothing else...

[Lindzy Foster]

Linda,
Im so glad that lil Mason is still safe inside, i cried reading this and am praying for things to continue smoothly thru the rest of your pregnancy. big hugs!

[Brooke]

Hi Linda,

Wow, what an update. My mom and I were reading it together with tears in our eyes. I had no idea what I was in for reading but I'm so glad that it ended well. I hope that everything continues to go well for little Mason while still inside of you. I'm so glad that your prayers were answered. Hang in there and we'll be praying for a peaceful next 10 weeks while Mason continues to grown inside your belly!!! Take care of yourself too!!!

Love,

Brooke-Mommy to Carter, Ethan, Caden, &

[linda]

Well I ended up back at UCH all weekend and just got home today. Everything is still ok. This Influenza B is no joke. I have never been more sick in my life. My heart rate was on average 145 and little Mason's was racing over 200 most of the time. They monitored both of us closely. I did have to have a CT Scan which I wasn't thrilled about beings it's not 100 % safe for baby but really had no choice beings they wanted to rule out a blood clot in my lungs. It was a rough weekend but I'm feeling a little better and will be out of work for the week. Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers!

[dfelton]

Wow.. i just have tears from reading your update.. and then about going back to the hospital. I'm so sorry you're having to deal w/ that influenza... :( But, i'm glad to hear that other than that, things are going well... i'll keep you and your family in my thoughts and prayers!

[linda]

Thanks! Elijah now has a cough, lets all pray for him that he doesn't get sick!!!!!

[Kerry]

Oh Linda you have had such a rough time! I been reading along this last week and I am so happy they were able to take care of you and hang on a little longer. Now Elijah sounds like he is getting it. I will continue to pray for your family and hope everyone gets healthy. That Influenza is nothing to mess around with. It seems to be going around here a lot too . If not it seems to be Strep Throat. Keep us posted when you have the energy and pray for you to keep your strength to let him bake a little longer.

Kerry
Mother of Olivia,Sarah,Lane and Heavenly Angel Mallory

[Estrella]

Linda,

I read your post a few days ago, and I cried and prayed so much for you. I just couldnt get the words out here. I want you to know you have many prayers from me and my family...Take care...(((HUGS)))

[linda]

Please keep praying for us (me and Mason) to get better. I'm throwing up today, it's awful I won't go into the details but we really need healing at this point. Still pray for my husband and son not to get sick...back to the couch.

[Heather Lombardo]

Linda,

You, baby and family are in my prayers. I hope you all feel better very soon!!!!


Heather from MN
(we worked together last May in CO @ Sam's studio)

[Hailey's Mommy]

I am so happy that little mason decided not to come....Thank god!! Please know you and Mason are in my thoughts and prayers...((hugs))

[Deb Stoner]

How are you doing today, Linda (and Mason)?

[linda]

I'm feeling a little better. I ate breakfast and lunch and nothing come back up so far! LOL

I stopped taking the codeine w/ cough syrup and so far my cough isn't that bad.

Thanks everyone for all the prayers - it's working! :)

[Kathy Schneider]

Yeah, keep it up sweetie! Things staying down is a good thing! Let me know if you need anything. Talk to you soon. Prayers and hugs.

[linda]

Thanks Kathy!!! :)

[Lyssa Sauer]

Linda my heart nearly stopped reading you first update. I am so sorry you are having such a rough time. I will pray for health for you and mason and your family. Please take care of yourself drink lots of fluids take your vitimins and rest as much as possible. I will pray that Mason makes it to term and is a healthy little boy! Sending you many hugs and lot of love . Lyssa

[Lindzy Foster]

im glad your feeling a lil better, ive been thinking of and praying for you constantly...ugh i just cant stand this winter weather, wish it would go away, ive started getting a lil sore throat and its driving me nuts! keep us updated and dont hesitate to ask if you need anything! hugs and love!