...GBS...

So this past monday i went in for my weekly OB check up and was told that i tested positive for GBS (Group B Streptococcus). I was speechless and just stared at my doctor. I was not expecting those results so i wasn't prepared with my usual list of questions. I just asked "So what does that mean? What do we do?" He explained that intravenous antibiotics are generally recommended at the time of labor (before delivery) so that it is not spread to our little boy. If not treated with antibiotics the fatality rate of the baby is 1 in 100 and WITH antibiotics it is 1 in 1000. He said that GBS is pretty "COMMON" like 20-30%, 1 in 4 women have GBS. Doesn't sound very "COMMON" to me! He did not seemed worried at all, but my anxiety levels shot through the roof to say the least. So any of you who know me can guess what i did when i got home...i got online and googled GBS. That was prob not the best idea. All you read online are horror stories and that is definitely NOT what i wanted or needed to read about. I just wanted to know more about it and how it could affect me and our baby. This is what ive learned....

What is group B streptococcus (not to be confused w/group A strep aka strep throat)? Group B streptococcus (group B strep) is a bacterium that causes life-threatening infections in newborn infants. Group B strep can also cause serious diseases in pregnant women, the elderly, and adults with other illnesses. The letter "B" refers to a classification of bacteria in the genus Streptococcus according to the makeup of the organism's cell wall.

What complications can result from group B strep infection? Group B strep infection is fatal in about 30% of infected men and non-pregnant women and about 5% to 15% of infected newborns. Babies who survive can be left with speech, hearing, and vision problems as well as mental retardation. Gbs is the most common cause of sepsis (blood infection) and meningitis (infection of the fluid and lining surrounding the bran) in newborns. GBS is a frequent cause of newborn pneumonia and is common that other, better known, newborn problems such as rubella, congentitial syphilis, hearing & vision loss, mental retardation and spina bifida. In pregnant women, GBS can cause bladder infections, womb infections, and stillbirth.

How is GBS diesese diagnosed and treated? GBS disease is diagnosed when the bacterium is grown from cultures of sterile body fluids, such as blood or spinal fluid. Cultures take a few days to complete. GBS infections in both newborns and adults are usually treated with antibiotics (e.g., penicillin or ampicillin) given through a vein.

I know that as "COMMON" as it is as my doctor put it, it is still scary and makes me nervous. I have been having a really hard time dealing with this as trivial it may seem to all of you who have given birth numerous times and probably think im over reacting and being dramatic, but to me its the unknown all the possibilities and chances. I know its not healthy to worry and be scared about it, thats why ive had to put all my trust in the lord to strengthen me and to have faith that everything will work out as it is meant to. I appreciate all of my family who has put up with me and me being pregnant. I KNOW it hasnt been easy for you guys to listen to all my complaining about being sick all the time. I am so grateful for my wonderful husband who despite my pregnant cranky self loves me and continues to show me daily how much i mean to him. He has been a life saver these past 9 months, he has taken on a lot and i know he'll never know how much it means to me. All the litrle things he does for me on those really hard days like the dishes, laundry, picking up around the house and grocery shopping. Not to mention the numerous times ive woken up to flowers next to the bed or my favorite treat waiting for me when im feeling better. I am so lucky to have found my eternal companion and such a hard working, loving man who strives to be a better person and continues to suprise and amaze me. He is going to be the best dad to our little boy and future children. I know he's nervous and so am i but together and with the help of the lord we are going to be just fine! I love you Jeremy Jay Roussel!! 

ps only 17 more days!! we cant wait to meet you baby roussel!!

Lately...

Its been about 2 months since ive posted anything on here. Things have just been so crazy and overwhelming my blog was not on my list of priorities, anyways ill try and catch up. Lets see, what did i miss...

My beautiful sister got married last week and she looked absolutely stunning! Being able to be there when her and brian were sealed was awesome, i love them both so much and miss them now that they're back in utah. Their reception was breathtaking, all i have to say is that my mom is absolutely AMAZING. She did their whole reception, her and kait dreamt it all up and my mom made it real life. It as Magical!! She did not get enough credit for all that she did, all the man hours she put into shopping, organizing, worrying, perfecting and beautifying for kaitlyn's special day. Unless you were there, you cant even imagine how stunning it really was. I love you kaitlyn and brian and im sooo happy for you two and i know you will looove being able to spend everyday with your eternal companion!!

Well baby news....i am 37 weeks officially FULL TERM! Ive been having weekly appointments for a while now and ive only got two more!! Our little boy is soo healthy and BIG, our last dr. appointment the doctor said he was 7lbs and growing!!! ahhhh!! I was kinda hoping he might come a little earlier than his due date, but "Dr. Ferrell" assured me he would be on time. Those of you that are close friends or family know that i have been sick my entire pregnancy and yes i STILL am nauseous and throwing up with that lovely morning, afternoon and night sickness (never know what time of day it will come)!! I pretty much have gotten used to it, and i now consider it practically a CHORE now. haha i know its gross ive been told by several people. But thats how its become, its like "hold on i need to go throw up then we can go..." haha jeremy and i just laugh about it now (well most of the time). I have had the wonderful opprotunity to start experiencing Braxton Hicks for the past couple weeks and theyve gotten worse as tiem goes on, today i had them 3 times! luckily they dont last very long, but oh man am i in for a suprise when i actually go into labor! jeremy keeps telling me that the second i feel a real contraction ill be begging him to take me to the hospital. And i dont doubt it haha according to my doctor our little baby boy is going to be AT LEAST 8 and half pounds!! We just cant wait to meet him and hold him in our arms. I feel like i already know him so well haha is that weird? Probably but oh well, he is my little buddy and i talk to him all the time. Jeremy and i are so excited to get to use all the amazing things we got from OUR (yes i say OUR because jeremy insisted on being there too because "ITS MY BABY TOO!" and i was soooo glad he was, it was the best seeing him get so excited about all the presents!) baby shower that my amazing aunt Sonya Watkins and aunt Kris Walledom threw for me two weeks ago. We got so much stuff that we really needed and thank you to EVERYONE who came and for all the amazing gifts, (thank you cards are on the way i promise haha things have just been crazy)!! We are going to have the best christmas we've ever had because we will have our baby boy with us, we are soooooo excited!!!

 

Im pretty sure everyone knows about my mom being diagnosed with breast cancer at the begining of august. I havent really written anything about it or even really talked to anyone about it. I appreciate all of you who have asked and sent your love to us. I know jeremy has asked a lot of you to not ask me about it or bring it up to me. Please do not take offense to it, i just like everyone has their own way of dealing and handling things and mine is NOT to talk to everyone about everything thats going on. If you ask about my mom ill tell you how she is and pass along your love. This "VILLAN" has just been a lot harder for me to deal with than ive let on. Work has been a blessing (as hard as working while being full term pregnant is) because i stay busy all day, im up and working and able to keep my mind off of the reality of things. Its when i get home and im there and its silent that my mind gets the better of me, luckily i have such amazing family and the best husband to reassure me that everything is going to be ok. I probably havent been the best daughter lately, i know that i havent been there as much as i should, but im afraid to break down in front of my family and mom. I dont want her to think im worried or scared. Mostly, i am just sad that she has to go through this and there is NOTHING i can do to take away the pain she feels everyday. I feel helpless. I love you mom, you are my hero and i look up to you more than you will ever know.

Long Awaited...

So here are some of the ultrasound pics from in july that some of you have been asking for...sorry its taken so long but we've just been soooo busy. 

we are sooo excited for our little baby boy and the awaited due date to sneak up on me (like everyone keeps promising it will). I have been one of the VERY LUCKY few who have morning sickness throughout the entire pregnancy, not just the first month or two haha. But the only thing that keeps me positive about it is my amazing husband and the fact that it will all be worth it on december 10th when we get to see and hold our baby. We were set on a name for a long time but i am just not a fan of the nicknames that could and WILL come about from it (nicknames are inevitable and the ones from the name we had were NOT very appealing to me) so we are (well i am at least) still thinking about other names. I'd like to wait and see him first before we name him, just so we can get a feel and see what he seems like before we just throw a name on him. Im weird i know, jeremy is dying and just wants to have a name already, and i was the same way until we found out it was a boy and have been having the HARDEST time coming up with boy names. SUGGESTIONS PLEASE PEOPLE!!! we have a few that we are liking right now but nothing for sure. We're getting really excited to get the nursery all put together and ready. We are going to buy our crib this week and the rest of the furniture the wee after....we are ecstatic!! Well im trying to get better at updating my blog more often, we will see how it goes....

Jeremy...

For those of you who are sickened by mushy posts, you can go ahead and skip this one. I felt the need to tell everyone how much i love my husband! Things have been really hard and stressful lately and i dont know how i would do it without him. He is stronger than anyone i know (im not just talking about his inhumane strength :] ) but he is my rock. He puts up with me being sick for the past almost 7 months and dosent complain one bit infact does the opposite! I look up to him so much, he is such a hard worker and so dedicated to his family, friends and everything he does. I have no doubt in my mind that jeremy will be the best dad EVER! and im sure anyone who knows jeremy would agree. Day after day i am amazed by him and all that he does. I love you jeremy roussel and here are just a few of my favorite reasons why...

-We always have fresh flowers in the house because whenever you get a chance you bring me home some!

-You always have me laughing with your crazy songs/jingles you make up...& when you dance and make music videos with my sisters!

-Sundays with you are always my favorite days of the week 

-How excited you get when we talk about the baby and getting his nursery all set up!!

-All the cards and notes you write me, "Just Because"

-How unselfish you are, and would do ANYTHING for your family and friends.

-Your strong testimony and knowledge of the gospel and teaching me new things daily.

-Your strength and patience with trials that we face, youre such an example to me.

Heres a couple little journal excerpt from when jeremy and i were dating, they are pretty funny entries!...

"...My family loves Jeremy so much. My dad is like obsessed with him and loves to have him over at our house. My mom loves him and so does both bear and kaitlyn. Blake usually likes all the guys I date (except for matt fergie). Its just driving me crazy because I really like jj but im scared that he is going to ruin it by telling me he loves me or have a lame DTR and I am so not ready for that. I seriously want to take things verrrry slooooow..." 

 

So we had our DTR (for those of you who have no clue what im talking about, its "THE TALK"...aka the dreaded "Determine The Relationship" talk that is soooo awkward but sometimes necessary haha ours went something like this...

(mind you this took place during half time of the suns game)

 JJ: Um so when are we going to have a DTR?

 Me: Uhh i dont know, whenever you want?

 JJ: I dont want to have one.

 Me: GOOD, me either

 JJ: Ok so how bout this, I like you, You like me. Im yours, and Youre mine. There we  had it.

"....I feel safe, and comfortable, I just feel like im at home. I feel like everything ive gone through and every lesson ive learned from past relationships and trials has led up to this moment in my life, I feel like the final piece to my puzzle (hahah like the puzzle analogy? I know jj would) has finally been set in place. I found him, the one, the only person that has ever made me feel like this before. I do not want to ever even think of myself being with anyone else. I want to marry him and spend eternity with him, I want to have children and raise them together. I want to watch him be the father of our children and love them and be exactly the man ive always wanted. For the very first time in my entire life I have no worries or fears about anything. This is how its supposed to be, this is how I have always pictured it. Everything is falling into place it feels like, and that is how everyone says it is when you get married, its not hard its not something you have to fight for, it is simple and easy and it just happens!!! Tonight at his house he asked me, if he asked me to marry him, what I would say. I told him I would absolutely marry him if he asked me. He just grabbed me and held me and told me how much he loves me. He said not for a few months would he even ask and I said well at least a few months and he said YEAH I KNOW maybe like 6 months and asked if that sounded ok, and i said it was perfect!..."  

well anyone that knows us knows that things didnt go as slow as i'd planned at all, in fact we were engaged and married within 4 months of that journal entry and we havent looked back a day since!

Sorry if this was too personal or ridiculous for you but it wasnt for you or anyone else but jeremy.....Jeremy, I know i tell you over and over daily that i love you, but i just needed to show you again haha that i am absolutely the luckiest woman alive to be able to share my life with you! Cant wait for our little baby boy to come and meet his amazing dad! Thank you for everything that you do for our little family! You are everything to me! 

TEAM MONYA!!

So my sister designed these shirts and are putting in an order tomorrow if anyone wants one let me know size and color! We've had such a huge request for them that we decided if its easier for you, you can pay through paypal...it started out as just making them for our family but then everyone wanted one. They are $20 and are on American Apparrel Vneck shirts (you can order them in crew neck if you want). We have already close to 75 in the order going out tomorrow, so if you can let me know via text (602-460-7302) or email (kaylaroussel@yahoo.com) we will put in the order for you!! THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR YOU LOVE, PRAYERS AND SUPPORT!!

Lately...

Things have been pretty crazy this past month! School started meaning i started back at work back at Highland Park Elementary School in gilbert. Im starting my 4th year there its amazing how time flies! Im in a new classroom than i was the previous 3 years (THANKFULLY!!!) Im still working with special needs just the intermediate/older kids grades 4-6 (they're all in one class) where as last year i was with the 1-3 graders. I am LOVING it so far!! I work with the best ladies ever...The teacher actually knows what she is doing and is absolutely fantastic and incredible at her job and the other Paraprofessional i work, Nadine with has made it so easy to transition into the new classroom and we are all getting along sooo great. I have a feeling this year is going to be the best yet!!

Monday was my birthday and it was such a great day! Jeremy loves birthdays so we celebrated all weekend long..no complaints from me :) Friday we went and saw District 9 which i was seriously nooot wanting to see at ALL but as always we compromised (we went to the movie and he rubbed my ginormously elephantitus looking feet throughout it...his suggestion). And it was actually a really good movie to my surprise. We went to dinner and then delicious Mesa Frozen Yogurt afterwards (mmmhh vanilla, chocolate and PB mixed=heaven!). Saturday i spent most the day with my mom, sisters, aunt sonya, katie, and cousin-in-law courtney! We went shopping for maternity clothes for me (& courtney...her and justen are due in march). We looked everywhere and i just am not a huge fan of maternity pants/bottoms. Luckily i havent had to wear them yet and still can wear pre preggo pants. But im getting HUGE (well according to my doctor im normal but i feel LARRRGE) and need to get some new pants. We ended up just buying some at gap and old navy and went to the new shade store at SanTan and bought TONS of new shirts that were on sale and some of the cutest cardigans that were like 10 bucks! Anyways Jeremy and i went to AZ Mills (yeah I KNOW) to get some stuff and look at the baby depot there, we walked into the store and made it for like 10 minutes and decided that we'd had enough thug love for one night and would try again during the week hahahaa. Anyways Monday was my actual birthday and jeremy bought me gorgeous red gerber daises (my favorite) and put them in the cutest vintage looking jar he bought and brought them home for me! At work i was suprised with lunch from Jodi and Nadine (the teacher and other aid i work with). Nadine made amazing empanadas and this black bean salad and jodi brought in a cheesecake! ALL MY FAVORITE THINGS!! They also gave me a gift card to BRIO tuscan grille which is freaking delicious. If you have not eaten there you are soooo missing out, ask me about it and ill tell you what to get!! Anyways i ended the day by visiting my in-laws and my mother in law had made me the most beautiful purple blanket that is sooo soft and cuddly! I absolutely love it and its soo something that i would appreciate (being that im usually always cold!!). Then off to meet up with my family and go eat at BJ's, and back to my parents house for sweetcake cupcakes!! I know it dosent sound like much but compared to my previous birthdays this one tops them all, it was probably the best one ive ever had. Thank you to All that wished me happy birthdays and spent time with me and celebrated with us!! Well sorry for jabbering on and on and on....

p.s. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS KEPT MY MOM IN THEIR PRAYERS, I KNOW SHE APPRECIATES IT MORE THAN YOU WILL EVER KNOW...

ITS A BOY!!!

I know its been forever since ive updated this thing! Well today we went and saw "Doctor Farrell" other wise known as Dr. Lepetich (my baby doctor) and found out the sex of our baby!!! First let me just say that i seriously would have been any ammount of money that it was going to be a girl haha but just because of saying this whole time that its going to be a girl it turned out a BOOOOOY!! We are soooo excited you have no idea!! Well we were in the room getting the ultrasound done and they project it on this big screen mounted on the wall and it was sooo amazing!! He was laying face down (facing my back) so they couldnt get good pictures of his face, everytime the doctor would get close to getting a good picture he would turn his head away, it was hilarious! He would do exactly the opposite of what the doc needed him to do haha i was laughing sooo hard (if the doctor only knew the stubborness of the ROUSSEL family she would have understood why i was cracking up) anyways we saw his feet and hands (has all 10 toes and 10 fingers!!) and everything was perfect. She was trying to get us some good pictures and to do that she needed him to shift or move, so she started jabbing my stomach and poking him it was sooo funny, im going back next week for better pictures. I just wish i could watch video of him all day, it was incredible and sooo real! Everything is good with both of us, were both healthy and on track...i still need to gain more weight to catch up for losing so much from being sick. Which by the way I AM STILL SICK and still throwing up almost every morning!!! Im convinced im going to be sick throughout my whole pregnancy like my mother in law and sister in law. The only bummer about him turning out to be a boy is that we can not agree on any boy names, we dont like anything the other suggests. And we already had our girl name picked out, and im calling it right now, any of my family that is reading this just know that i am calling the name VIOLA (after grandma, and it is MY middle name) so THERE NO ONE CAN USE IT hahaha!!

Ill try to keep this updated but i just forget!!!