Well, we are now in the homestretch of this pregnancy.
Denise had her last OB appointment yesterday (Wednesday). There was nothing really new to report as her blood pressure was a little high and there was very little dialation. So we are still on track for a C-Section next Tuesday, September 2nd.
The C-Section was scheduled for 7:30 in the morning, but now has been moved to 9:30 in the morning. So that means we will have to be at the hospital at 7:30 instead of 5:30. A couple of more hours of sleep, if we get any the night before. I sense a lot of tossing and turning in our future!!!
Otherwise there is not a whole lot else going on here other than making sure we are ready for Elizabeth's arrival. Since Dr. Mirau has put Libby's birth weight somewhere between 10 and 11 pounds, we have been going through the clothes we had out and trying to decide what may fit and what may not. We have also been looking at the diapers and just kind of laughing that she probably won't fit in those either. We do have some of the next size on hand, just in case.
We did make it up to The Uptown in Wadena last Saturday night for their grand opening. Our friends, Jim and Traci Formanek, bought the establishment in June and have been busy putting their touches on the business. The food was great as was the party. We hope they have many years of success in front of them.
Well, I am going to sign off and see what else I can get accomplished tonight! Everyone have a great Labor Day Weekend and I hope to be able to blog and get pictures up from the hospital!
Troy, Denise and Elizabeth
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Baby Update: T minus 12 Days
Denise had another checkup yesterday and there is nothing really new to report. Her systolic went down from 140 to 128, but her diastolic went up from 90 to 98. So it is still take it easy and wait. She did drop some weight which means that some of the water retention has went down. She still is a little swollen in the feet and hands, but not as bad as it was. I guess the resting must be working some.
Right now, we are still scheduled for a C-Section on September 2nd. The only thing that will change that is if Elizabeth decides to start the process on her own before then. Denise will have one more checkup with her doctor next Wednesday, so that could change things also. For now though, we are geared toward September 2nd.
Otherwise, there is not a whole lot new here. Denise and I were able to pick up one more Beaver Hockey Season Ticket, so we now have three together. That will give Libby her own seat as she starts to enjoy college hockey, and more importantly, Beaver Hockey!
Hope everyone has a great weekend, and we will keep the blog updated as we find things out.
Troy and Denise (and Libby)
Right now, we are still scheduled for a C-Section on September 2nd. The only thing that will change that is if Elizabeth decides to start the process on her own before then. Denise will have one more checkup with her doctor next Wednesday, so that could change things also. For now though, we are geared toward September 2nd.
Otherwise, there is not a whole lot new here. Denise and I were able to pick up one more Beaver Hockey Season Ticket, so we now have three together. That will give Libby her own seat as she starts to enjoy college hockey, and more importantly, Beaver Hockey!
Hope everyone has a great weekend, and we will keep the blog updated as we find things out.
Troy and Denise (and Libby)
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Bedrest!
Yep, Denise has been put on bed rest by her doctor yesterday (Wednesday). She had her weekly appointment and her blood pressure had shot up some, so they wanted her to stay off her feet as much as possible. They ran a bunch of blood work tests though, and they all came back okay. So right now we just have the blood pressure and the water retention to worry about.
This is tough on Denise. She always seems to be doing something, and after her first 24 hours of taking it easy it has driven her a little nuts! At her job, she spends most of the day sitting, so she likes to come home and be up and about doing things. I am just the opposite though as I am on my feet all day and just want to sit when I get home.
We are not sure what our next step will be. There is some talk of inducing early and there is some talk of trying to ride it out. Dr. Mirau is on vacation next week, so Denise is kind of hoping to hold on through that as she really likes her. But if Libby decides its time, it is time.
Also figuring into this is both of leaves from our places of employment. Since Denise is on bed rest, her disability leave has started now. Unicel (she is still on their plan as Verizon's will not be in effect until after Libby's birth) gives five weeks of paid disability leave. After that, you have to use vacation time if you have any or you are just not paid for your time off. Well, if Denise makes it all the way to September 2, she will only have around three weeks of paid leave left.
My leave is a little more cut and dried. I have to take three days of paid time off and then my disability leave kicks in. I have twenty days banked up in my disability leave, so in all I get 23 days off. Of course, both of us can take up to 12 total weeks under the FMLA laws, but outside of our time off banks, everything else would be unpaid.
Luckily Denise's bed rest is not complete bed rest. She can still do things and be up and around occasionally, she just needs to take it easy. Since we have no other kids, I will be able to continue to work up until the big day.
Also, Denise's Unicel e-mail account will be inactive while she is out. Her new e-mail account is:
denisemills@hotmail.com
Otherwise, there is not a whole lot else going on here. We did get 1.2 inches of rain on Monday, so it looks like the lawn will need to be mowed this weekend. Everything around the house seems to be ready for Elizabeth's arrival, so about all we can do is take it one day at a time right now!
Have a great weekend everyone! We will post more as we know more.
Troy and Denise
This is tough on Denise. She always seems to be doing something, and after her first 24 hours of taking it easy it has driven her a little nuts! At her job, she spends most of the day sitting, so she likes to come home and be up and about doing things. I am just the opposite though as I am on my feet all day and just want to sit when I get home.
We are not sure what our next step will be. There is some talk of inducing early and there is some talk of trying to ride it out. Dr. Mirau is on vacation next week, so Denise is kind of hoping to hold on through that as she really likes her. But if Libby decides its time, it is time.
Also figuring into this is both of leaves from our places of employment. Since Denise is on bed rest, her disability leave has started now. Unicel (she is still on their plan as Verizon's will not be in effect until after Libby's birth) gives five weeks of paid disability leave. After that, you have to use vacation time if you have any or you are just not paid for your time off. Well, if Denise makes it all the way to September 2, she will only have around three weeks of paid leave left.
My leave is a little more cut and dried. I have to take three days of paid time off and then my disability leave kicks in. I have twenty days banked up in my disability leave, so in all I get 23 days off. Of course, both of us can take up to 12 total weeks under the FMLA laws, but outside of our time off banks, everything else would be unpaid.
Luckily Denise's bed rest is not complete bed rest. She can still do things and be up and around occasionally, she just needs to take it easy. Since we have no other kids, I will be able to continue to work up until the big day.
Also, Denise's Unicel e-mail account will be inactive while she is out. Her new e-mail account is:
denisemills@hotmail.com
Otherwise, there is not a whole lot else going on here. We did get 1.2 inches of rain on Monday, so it looks like the lawn will need to be mowed this weekend. Everything around the house seems to be ready for Elizabeth's arrival, so about all we can do is take it one day at a time right now!
Have a great weekend everyone! We will post more as we know more.
Troy and Denise
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Baby Update, Week 2
Denise and I just got back from her latest checkup and things are very interesting and very exciting.
It started with an appointment with an ultrasound tech. Last week, Denise's OB/GYN was concerned with the size of the baby and wanted to get some verification. Well, most things were verified with the ultrasound. The baby measured out at 40 weeks according to different measurements taken during the scan. The ultrasound tech even said that everything was placing the delivery date as tomorrow, August 7th.. They estimated the weight of Elizabeth at 8 1/2 pounds. Now there is some variance in these numbers, but still rather shocking none the less.
Then it was on up to meet with the OB/GYN, Dr. Mirau. She was a little taken aback by the numbers, but it confirmed what she felt last week. WE HAVE A LARGE BABY ON OUR HANDS!!!! Denise measured 37 cm last week and measured 42 cm this week. We spent a lot of time discussing what is going to happen over the next couple of weeks. Ideally, Dr. Mirau would like for Denise to get to 39 weeks, she is a little over 35 right now. She would not budge from the original September 7 due date since that was based on the ultrasound done at 6 weeks, which is usually accurate due to how early it was done. The biggest concern is that we want to give the lungs ample time to develop. One thing that was said is that Elizabeth will put on an average of a half pound each week from here to the end. If that continues, we will be looking at a 10 pound baby!!!!
Up next was the discussing of our options. The first option we have no control over. If she goes into labor now, they will not stop her and allow her to deliver. The second option was that if Denise felt it was time, they would do an amnio to make sure the lungs were developed and then would induce her. We really don't want to do that if we don't have to. The third option was to wait for Denise's body to decide it was time. The risk involved there is with the size of the baby and the possibility of the baby getting stuck in the birth canal. Then it comes down to the baby having broken collar bones, but that is better than the alternative, which would be death. The final option was to set up a date for a C-Section as close to the due date as possible. If Denise goes full term, we were left with a decision between option 3 and option 4. We chose to go with option four if we get to that point due to the fact it is safer for Elizabeth. We set up a tentative C-Section appointment for the morning of September 2.
In other news, Denise will officially be a Verizon employee tomorrow. The President and CEO of Verizon is meeting with employees tomorrow here in Alexandria and the next week looks to be very informative as far as the whole change over goes. I have to work this weekend, but will have Monday off to make up for it. That will be my last weekend until Labor Day Weekend, which looks like it will be my last days of work until October (paternity leave). This Saturday is Garfield Day, so we will see how everyone is feeling and then decide whether we will take in any of the events.
Have a great weekend and we will post more later!
Denise, Troy and Libby
It started with an appointment with an ultrasound tech. Last week, Denise's OB/GYN was concerned with the size of the baby and wanted to get some verification. Well, most things were verified with the ultrasound. The baby measured out at 40 weeks according to different measurements taken during the scan. The ultrasound tech even said that everything was placing the delivery date as tomorrow, August 7th.. They estimated the weight of Elizabeth at 8 1/2 pounds. Now there is some variance in these numbers, but still rather shocking none the less.
Then it was on up to meet with the OB/GYN, Dr. Mirau. She was a little taken aback by the numbers, but it confirmed what she felt last week. WE HAVE A LARGE BABY ON OUR HANDS!!!! Denise measured 37 cm last week and measured 42 cm this week. We spent a lot of time discussing what is going to happen over the next couple of weeks. Ideally, Dr. Mirau would like for Denise to get to 39 weeks, she is a little over 35 right now. She would not budge from the original September 7 due date since that was based on the ultrasound done at 6 weeks, which is usually accurate due to how early it was done. The biggest concern is that we want to give the lungs ample time to develop. One thing that was said is that Elizabeth will put on an average of a half pound each week from here to the end. If that continues, we will be looking at a 10 pound baby!!!!
Up next was the discussing of our options. The first option we have no control over. If she goes into labor now, they will not stop her and allow her to deliver. The second option was that if Denise felt it was time, they would do an amnio to make sure the lungs were developed and then would induce her. We really don't want to do that if we don't have to. The third option was to wait for Denise's body to decide it was time. The risk involved there is with the size of the baby and the possibility of the baby getting stuck in the birth canal. Then it comes down to the baby having broken collar bones, but that is better than the alternative, which would be death. The final option was to set up a date for a C-Section as close to the due date as possible. If Denise goes full term, we were left with a decision between option 3 and option 4. We chose to go with option four if we get to that point due to the fact it is safer for Elizabeth. We set up a tentative C-Section appointment for the morning of September 2.
In other news, Denise will officially be a Verizon employee tomorrow. The President and CEO of Verizon is meeting with employees tomorrow here in Alexandria and the next week looks to be very informative as far as the whole change over goes. I have to work this weekend, but will have Monday off to make up for it. That will be my last weekend until Labor Day Weekend, which looks like it will be my last days of work until October (paternity leave). This Saturday is Garfield Day, so we will see how everyone is feeling and then decide whether we will take in any of the events.
Have a great weekend and we will post more later!
Denise, Troy and Libby
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Job Update
Just a quick note for an update on Denise's job.
Last week the FCC approved the Verizon purchase of Unicel. It looks as if closing will be on Wednesday and Thursday being Denise's first day as a Verizon employee.
What this means for us is that it looks as though Verizon will maintain the old Unicel Corporate Headquarters in Alexandria and Denise will be employed!!!!
Troy and Denise
Last week the FCC approved the Verizon purchase of Unicel. It looks as if closing will be on Wednesday and Thursday being Denise's first day as a Verizon employee.
What this means for us is that it looks as though Verizon will maintain the old Unicel Corporate Headquarters in Alexandria and Denise will be employed!!!!
Troy and Denise
Baby Shower
On Saturday, August 2nd, friends and family gathered at our place in Garfield for a baby shower honoring the upcoming arrival of our daughter, Elizabeth Rose. Hosts for the party were future Aunt Stacy and Grandmas Vicky and Rosemary. Stacy came up with the idea of a late afternoon backyard BBQ, which both of us thought was great and somewhat against the norm. Future Uncle Dave took care of the grilling while Vicky and Rosemary took care of all the side dishes to go with the brats and burgers. Luckily the day turned out very nice weather wise and guests were able to spend time outside on the deck or in the yard, or inside if they wished.
Of course, we would like to thank everyone for their gifts and I am sure that mom and dad (pictured below) along with Elizabeth will put them all to good use. We feel so fortunate and blessed to have such a great extended family and great friends. So again, thank you!
Pictured above is part of the party, with others seated off to the sides that the camera could not get.Tomorrow, Denise has an ultrasound to see where Elizabeth is as far as development. As soon as we know more, we will post it, maybe with some ultrasound pictures.
Thanks again to everyone!!!!
Troy and Denise (and Libby)
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Baby Update
Just a quick baby update here as Denise had a checkup today with her OB/GYN.
Elizabeth Rose is progressing nicely as her size, heart beat and everything else is within the very good range.
We did have a little bit of a "monkey wrench" thrown into things though, not that it is all bad. Elizabeth may be joining us earlier as Denise measured out such that she may be in her 37th week instead of her 34th week like we had thought. Next week, Denise will have an ultrasound so that decsions that need to be made can be made.
This Saturday is the baby shower here in Garfield, so we will see many of you there. To those of you that can not be there, we hope you are having a great summer.
Have a great upcoming weekend!
Denise and Troy
Elizabeth Rose is progressing nicely as her size, heart beat and everything else is within the very good range.
We did have a little bit of a "monkey wrench" thrown into things though, not that it is all bad. Elizabeth may be joining us earlier as Denise measured out such that she may be in her 37th week instead of her 34th week like we had thought. Next week, Denise will have an ultrasound so that decsions that need to be made can be made.
This Saturday is the baby shower here in Garfield, so we will see many of you there. To those of you that can not be there, we hope you are having a great summer.
Have a great upcoming weekend!
Denise and Troy
Pothier Reunion Weekend
The weekend of July 18-20, 2008, saw Denise and I making the long trek 30 miles south to Lake Minnewaska and Peters' Sunset Beach Resort. The occasion was for the Pothier Family Reunion, which is Denise's father Curtis' mom's maiden name. Over 70 people were in attendence for the weekend.Grandma Beulah was one of 10 kids and their families can be seen in the group photo above. We met members of the extended family that I had not met before and Denise had not seen in many years. I learned that there were about 17 different ways to pronounce "Pothier", with the real way having a somewhat French accent on it "po-tier". Four of the ten Pothier Children were in attendence, and to tell the truth, I can not remember how many were living and how many have passed onto the better life.
Friday started with a family meet and greet at 9:30 AM in front of the main lodge, although we did hear rumors of a meet and greet taking place Thursday night and lasting into the early hours of Friday morning. A golf tournament then followed the meet and greet for those interested. Peters Sunset Beach Resort has a very nice 18 hole layout that overlooks Lake Minnewaska at times. It is a very challenging course, but very fair also. There were 17 of us that were divided up into 4 teams playing a scramble format. My group was 3 under par at the turn before sitting down for a brat and a beer before tackling the back nine. That nine got the best of us and we finished at even par on the day, but no one knows which team ended up winning. It doesn't matter though as it was a fin day out on the links.
Friday evening, the family went into Glenwood to the Lakeside Ballroom for a private dinner. Most, if not all, of the family that was there made the trek into Glenwood and introductions were given and stories were told. After that, it was back to the Resort for a lakeside bonfire (Denise and I had to stop at Dairy Queen first for some ice cream though)!
Saturday morning started with rain at 6:30 am and continuing until around 10:30. It cut into the golf time for some, but some also made it out. Denise and I took a nice walk around the resort and checked out some of the other buildings. Then it was back to "Reunion Central". Curtis brought his boat down and his brother Harley brought a pontoon. Boat rides were given around Minnewaska as the day improved weather wise. Some water skiing was tried, but the tube stayed on the dock. We did hang out with Denise's brother in law Eric and her niece Emily and found out the Barbie Fishing Poles are the best thing in the world for catching fish as a few sunnies were landed as well as a good size small mouth bass.
Saturday evening centered around a grilled hamburger meal. Three charcoal grills, thirty cans of baked beans, several different kinds of chips, bars and beverages made for a very enjoyable evening. After the grill out, it was time for family pictures. Denise figures it had been close to six years since her whole family had been together, so of course the family had changed. I have attached a picture of that great family at the bottom of the post. After the pictures and clean up, it was bonfire time again on the beach!
Sunday was getaway day for some, including us, with some of the Pothiers not leaving until Monday. Those that did stick around had a very enjoyable time conversing and catching up on what had been going on in their lives.
Some links if you are interested:
The Pothier Reunion website has a slide show with between 200 and 300 pictures in it. The second one is to the Resort we stayed at, and we would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a getaway or for a place to hold a reunion. Book early as Curtis starting this a little over a year before the actual event.
Front Row (left to right): Robin Danielson Long, Charlie Long, Grandpa Curtis, Sophie Long, Emily Jacobson, Gramma Rosemary, Gracie Long.
Back Row (left to right): Darren Long, Eric Jacobson, Anna Jacobson, Lisa Danielson Jacobson, Denise Danielson Mills, Troy Mills.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Weekend With the Petersons
This past weekend, Denise and I made one of our few trips of the summer. We both took Friday off from work and headed on down to the Twin Cities. The trip had two goals, one was to see the Star Wars Exhibit at the Science Museum in St. Paul, and the second was to spend time with my sister and her family in White Bear Township.
The Star Wars Exhibit was nice, but I realized I was not as much of a Star Wars geek as many of the other people there. Even with it being a Friday, the crowd was fairly large. But one of my pet peeves was very prevelant there. I just hate it when Denise and I were at an exhibit reading the cards with the display, and someone feels the need to just butt in front of you to read and/or take pictures. Just wait your turn!!!
After Star Wars, we made the trip north on 35E out to the Petersons. My sister Stacy and her husband Dave, along with twins Abby and Maddy, always make for a fun weekend. Friday night was nice as we just vegged out and talked about the upcoming arrival of Libby. But Denise and I were "party poopers" as we went to bed at 9:30. Something about that 5:30 AM alarm all week that just wore me out.
Saturday, we decided to pile everyone into our minivan and make the trip down to Canterbury Park in Shakopee to watch the horses. The van worked out nice with us being able to get all six of us in there and I got some practice at installing child seats! For a place that has gambling and beer, it was very family friendly. They had a huge playground constructed on the grounds, and a lot of kids were present. Abby and Maddy did very well for being a little over two years old. The playground did not interest them a whole lot, but the plywood platform set up for watching the races did. They really enjoyed watching the horses go by and even got to pet a couple of them. But the half hour between races did make it a little trying at times. But we all made it through and only had to miss the final two races.
The Starting Gate
The Horses go racing by!
The Finish
Maddy (left) and Abby enjoying the viewing platform more than the playground!
Maddy found someone to play with!
Stacy and Abby watching the horses go back to the stables!
Denise and Maddy watching the horses!
Maddy petting one of the horses with Troy's help.
On Sunday, it was back home to Garfield as we had some yard work to get caught up on. This next weekend Denise and I will venture to Glenwood for a family reunion on Denise's father's side. It should be a fun weekend on Lake Minnewaska!!!
Have a great end of the week and a great weekend everyone!
Troy and Denise
Heeeeeerrrrrrrreeeee's Libby!
So, Denise and I started this blog as a way to keep family and friends updated on our lives with the upcoming arrival of our daughter, Elizabeth Rose. So, here are some of the first pictures of Elizabeth that we had "taken" back in April (it doesn't seem like it has been three months already)!
The first picture is of Elizabeth's profile, looking at her left hand side. Her head is to the right with the nose and mouth pointing up in the picture.
The second picture is of her little hand!
And there are her little feet!
And now the picture that determined whether Elizabeth was going to be Elizabeth or the boy name we had picked out. The ultrasound tech was new, but was pretty sure. We showed the picture to our OB/GYN and she confirmed the ultrasound tech's diaganosis. So Elizabeth it is.
Now, we have had a few people ask how we came up with the name. Well, it came to me in a dream one night, before Denise even knew she was pregnant. It was about 2:30 in the morning and I woke Denise up from her slumber. I told her "I JUST HAD A DREAM" and her reply was "So, go back to sleep!" I told her I had a dream we had a girl and we named her Elizabeth Rose. She said okay, and we went back to sleep.
Where does the name come from, I am not too sure. If I was a HUGE KISS fan, I suppose it could come from the song "Beth". I like the song, but not enough to let it influence the naming of our children. Rose is easy though. Denise's mom is named Rosemary and my Grandma Mills is named Rosa. At least that is where I believe it comes from.
So that is my story and I am sticking to it!!!!
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