Henry's Birth Story... 11/23/2009

Okay- where to start??? I guess Monday morning- I was one of those annoying people that call RIGHT ON THE DOT- 5 AM. (maybe even 4:59). L&D said to come up around 6:15 so we started getting around. Took a shower, did some last minute things around the house, waited for my mom to arrive and somehow ate breakfast (even though my stomach was in a giant knot!). When I was induced with Maeve we waited in registration for about a half hour so this time we thought we should get there a little earlier in order to get up to L&D by 6:15. haha- this time registration was dead! Not a person in there! I got registered and put in a room by 6... a nurse was in right away to hook up the IV and ask all those dumb questions (are you in an abusive situation? Do you have a problem with crack/coccaine?) Around 7 they started the pitocin. I was already having contractions 5-7 minutes apart, so the pitocin definitely added a little kick to them! Dr. P came in around 8 or so and broke my water and assured me I will NOT go home preggo! WAHOO! :) INSTANTLY- I mean the next contraction- after my water was broken, I was in some major pain. My contractions started coming consistently around 3-4 minutes apart. I labored in bed for about 2 hours- thinking "OMG this is going so fast!! I'm going to have this baby before noon!" The nurse came in to check on my progress and told me I had not changed A BIT!!! Even though my contractions were good and strong, I shot up in bed and said "WHAT????" She told me to get up and do some walking...

Ryan and I walked the halls of 4 North :) for about 45 minutes or so. I was in a ton of pain- each contraction I felt like I was going to fall into a pool of jello onto the floor. I could definitely feel a pick up in the intensity and frequency of the contractions. I thought we should head back to the room because I wasn't sure I could stay on my feet much longer- also, the screaming coming from one of the rooms was freaking me out!!!

Back in the room I decided to give the rocking chair a try. THIS is what got me through until I got the epidural. I kind of got into a trance just rocking through my contractions- they still hurt like crazy heck but the rocking seemed to help. The doc came back in around 1 and checked me- 5 cm! YEAH!! I had made enough progress to get an epidural! :) I requested one immediately- for 2 reasons: My first epidural with Maeve didn't work- and if that were to happen again I wanted enough time to be able to get another one. And 2, I remembered that when getting one with Maeve, the anestisiologist didn't actually get to my room for like an hour. This time, luck was on my side though :) The anest. got there within about 30-45 minutes AND the epi worked like a charm. I could've kissed that guy who put a catheter in my back! :) While I was getting the epi I started to get the shakes really bad. The nurse said it was because I was probably transitioning. After the epi was in place and I had some time to relax she checked me again- I was 7-8 cm. She told me that if I started to feel pressure I needed to let her know. NO JOKE- within 5 minutes of her leaving the room, I felt a huge urge to push. I told Ryan to get the nurse. She came back in, checked me, and said "You're ready to go! You have nothing left! Not even a lip of cervix!"

I started pushing around 4:30. It was hard. Really, really hard. Finally around 4:50 I had pushed the baby's head down enough that Dr. P was called in. I have to say- this was probably the worst pain I've ever felt- worse than with Maeve. The Dr. looked while I pushed and then said "Ashley- STOP pushing- do not push." I think I might have sworn. :) But next thing I knew Dr. P was pushing the baby's head back in- um... PAINFUL. I heard him say "nuchal cord x2" and since I watch baby shows religiously I knew that the cord was wrapped around his neck twice, and that's why he had to get the head back in- to unwrap the cord. SOMEHOW, by the grace of GOD I held off on pushing while he untangled the cord. Then I heard a snip and I gave one last huge push and out came Mr. Henry Ryan McKenney! He was born at 4:59 PM.

The doc put him on me right away, but he was blue and not breathing and super limp. I kept asking anyone and everyone if he was okay- a nurse swept in and grabbed him and shouted into the hallway to call pediatrics. I was in a full blown panic. It was probably a minute or so before he even made a whimper. FINALLY, things started to calm down a bit and Henry started making teeny tiny kitten-like noises. It was completely terrifying. Thankfully, everything was fine and I got to hold my bubba beans. He felt so tiny- even though he weighed 8.7 & 20.5 inches long! I couldn't believe it! Woooahhh baby! After getting stitches (UGH yes... another episiotomy- thankfully, the Dr. said this one wasn't as bad as my first one) and a stupid cath. (for some reason I couldn't pee after the birth) we got to move into post-partum.

I can't say enough wonderful and beautiful things about my little man. I am in love like I thought I couldn't be again. I wish I could snuggle him all day long. He is seriously the most amazing baby- he slept through his circumcision, his shots, all the blood pokes. Seriously- nothing phases this kid. And that's a good thing- because he's got one wild sissy to deal with! He's already had his nukies stolen out of his mouth, his arms stretched, his face poked at... he's such an angel. This is totally different for me since Maeve was quite the high maintenance baby!

We're home now- resting, getting to know Henry & spending time with Maeve. My parents offered to keep her for another night and as appealing as that sounded, I felt like she needed to be home. So here we are, all getting acquainted with each other :)

Thanks for all the thoughts & prayers! We're a family of FOUR!!!

jumbled!

I don't really know what to write today... my thoughts are here, there, everywhere! I wish I would've had an easier labor with Maeve so I could be going into this one with a TON of confidence. Unfortunately, I'm thinking "HOW THE HECK am I going to push for an hour and a half again???" or "I really hope the first epidural works!" Ryan even had the nerve to say "I hope 'WERE' done by noon this time." Yeah- Ryan I hope "WE'RE" done too! haha... :)

I think one of the things I'm most nervous about is Maeve- actually, yeah that IS the thing I'm the most nervous about. She's only stayed overnight one time- she was about 7 months old- we went to the Westin for our anniversary- I cried because I missed her so badly and we came home early! haha :) I'm afraid I'm going to miss her so badly I'll have a hard time enjoying my time with the baby... does that sound bad? I desperately want to make sure we bond like I did with Maeve those first few days in the hospital but how can I put my whole heart into him when my heart will be missing??? I'm afraid all I will want to think about or be able to think about is "Where is Maeve? What is she doing? Did my mom put brown sugar in her oatmeal? Did my dad make sure she's got her baby Dumbo to sleep with?"

[Okay now I'm crying.]

Alright- I'm going to stop getting emotional about leaving Maeve for a couple of days...

This past weekend I tried to make it a "Maeve weekend." Maybe its because I'm a firstborn- but I feel for her! I really do! She has no idea the huge shift that's about to take place in her world! Saturday night my mom, dad, Ryan and I took Maeve to "Chelsea Treehouse." It was awesome. There were literally 2 other kids there (I think it was the quietest I've ever seen the place!) and even though I was unable to climb through the tubes and slides, Maeve had a huge entourage of people willing to play with her. I walked around taking pics (although the camera is packed in the hospital bag and out of sheer fear that I will forget it, I'm not going to remove it to upload the pics!!!) and cheering her on. After playing for awhile, we ate at the amazing Mexican restaurant that's adjacent to the treehouse. Maeve loved the chicken, even though it turned her face red because it was so spicy! After dinner, we let Maeve play for a little more- I can't tell you how special she felt. The four most important people in her life all giving her 100% of the attention- she was looooving it! We stopped for cupcakes and coffee on the way home and since Maeve had decided not to nap yesterday, it was off to an early night night. After Maeve fell asleep, I had Ryan bring her in our room so I could just lay with her. I couldn't sleep- so I just held my bubs and watched some Christmas movies. It was a really nice night.

Today we've hung around the house (minus a trip to my parents to drop all of Maeve's stuff off). We're having a big dinner tonight and I'm hoping we can ALL get to bed early. Scheduled inductions are so weird- you KNOW the amount of pain you're about to be in and yet somehow you have to try and sleep. Also- I have to call L&D at 5 AM to see if they have a bed available. If they do, I'll be told to come in- if they don't... ughhh- either my induction could be delayed or canceled all together. I think a lot of my anxiety will go away once they say "come on in!"

I just asked Ryan if we could bring the computer to the hospital. Since we won't be having many visitors (the H1N1 thing doesn't allow children or anyone NOT directly related on the L&D floor... so only Ryan & grandparents are allowed) I figured it might be nice to kill some time on the comp. I guess we'll see how we're all feeling. Anyhow, expect an update SOMETIME in this next week!

Wish me luck! :)

a ME day.

I'm excited- my mom is taking Maeve for a couple of hours so I can get my hair done (I desperately need my roots touched up, a trim and my eyebrows waxed) and then I get to have a spa-pedi (thanks Sarah!). I'm thrilled to have a few hours to myself- just relaxing before giving BIRTH (ahhh...really starting to get nervous!). Tonight my parents, Maeve, Ryan and I are all going to Darryls to celebrate a "last supper" of sorts.

It's all bitter sweet. I love my little family so much- Maeve is my world.
I'm finding it hard to imagine that this baby will fit in as well as Maeve does- but I'm sure he will. I think these are just some last minute fears... after all, having a baby is pretty life changing. I just want the transition to go seamlessly- I want Maeve to LOVE her baby brother, I want to love him as much as I love Maeve (again- I am sure I will- but at the moment, I'm looking at my love eating breakfast in her chair and thinking no one will ever take up as much room in my heart as her). Stupid fears, I know... but still, it will be nice to have a few hours today to just CHILL OUT and get my thoughts together without a screaming 2 year old in the background.

Tomorrow we're getting our Christmas tree (soooo early)- I really wanted to be able to go and pick it out with Ryan & Maeve and with the weather here, ya just never know- I don't want to take a newborn out Christmas tree hunting in freezing snow, so we decided to get it a week earlier than we normally do (we usually get it the weekend AFTER thanksgiving). I will post pics of our tree hunting experience tomorrow :)

the girl who cried labor.

Yup, that's me- my hand is raised! You'd think after already going through it once I'd KNOW what labor feels like. Granted, I DID restrain myself from going in last night, but still- I had my mom on alert, my poor husband freaking out- packing, cleaning and pacing... it was sad waking up this morning still preggo.

I got my membranes stripped yesterday and felt funny immediately- by "funny" I mean crampy, loss of appetite, just weird feeling. I didn't say anything to anyone for a few hours- but after having a good solid 2 hours of contractions 5-7 minutes apart I called Ryan and told him to "KEEP THE PHONE ON!" Unfortunately Ryan has class on Tuesday nights and with the contractions keeping up I told him I felt uncomfortable being at home by myself. So he ran out to JCC, turned in his homework and told his teacher I was in labor (good Lord). We ate some dinner (I still was feeling sick to my stomach) and put Maeve down. Then we started seriously timing my contractions- they were lasting a minute and coming anywhere from 4-7 minutes apart. This lasted until I finally fell asleep (around 11 or so?). I definitely did not want to go into L&D just to be sent home, so I stuck it out and I'm glad I did. I woke up a few times during the night with some painful contractions, but nothing that lasted long enough to keep me up and really get my attention. This morning the contrax. were back but after getting up and eating breakfast they've slowly disappeared. How frustrating :(

Luckily I'm feeling really good lately. I have that extra burst of energy that often comes with the end of pregnancy. I've been on the go and cleaning a TON. It feels good to have a really, really clean house! And believe it or not, I am actually hoping to make it to Monday- a few weeks ago, I would've given anything to go into spontaneous labor... but next week seems to be a perfect week to have a baby. My sister will be home from Kansas to visit, Ryan will be off of work all week, as will my mom- so Monday is feeling pretty golden.

I will continue to update... but if I "cry" labor again don't get too alarmed... apparently I'm not such a good judge of it!

EVICTION NOTICE!!!!

First off, I am really stinking at the whole "1 post/day" thing. Sorry.

SECONDLY, I just had my 38/39 week appt. and I am now dilated to THREE cm!!! And 80% effaced... we talked about the induction a bit. As you all know I was induced with Maeve and it was a horrible, LONG labor. So I am definitely starting to have some reservations about doing it again. I was SO SO SO hoping I could start laboring on my own but it looks like that isn't going to happen anytime soon. Fortunately, my Bishop score (a system that rates how favorable you are for induction) gave me a score of a 7-8 (out of 10). When I was induced with Maeve I was barely at a 3. My midwife really thinks it will be easier this time around- she said my body is totally ready for it, versus last time when it was being forced.

After all was said and done, we set the official date... November 23rd, this baby is being EVICTED!!! Laura (my midwife) had told me last week that Nov. 23rd looked like it would be the day, but we confirmed it with Dr.P and he gave me the official go ahead. I am nervous already! OMG-5 days until baby is here!

As for the details of the rest of my appointment, it was all pretty standard. Baby is estimated to be around 7 lbs (HOOOORAH- not the 8-9 lb. baby that I was originally estimated to have- AND, Laura predicted Maeve's weight to be around 6 & a half lbs.- she came out 6-8. SO I am really hopeful that again, Laura is right on!) My urine is good, BP was a tad high but nothing to worry about... I'm measuring at FORTY weeks... baby's head is so low I think I might sneeze him out (it's really the most bizarre feeling to have the doc push on the baby's head!). Lets see... Oh I got my membranes stripped AGAIN... it was a tad more uncomfy this time around. And I was instructed to walk,walk,walk and to use my breast pump. I guess using your breast pump makes your body release oxytocin- a derivative of pitocin- what they give you to induce labor. Unfortunately, I threw my breast pump out because it got so gross. Guess what we're going to Target for tonight??? :)

I think that about sums up my LAST OB visit. WOW. Now I have 5 LONG days of waiting. In the meantime, this baby better be packing up and headin' south- because he is SOOOOO being evicted!!!! :)

I'm Baaaaack!

GOSH it stinks when the internet is down!!! Especially when you're so close to having a baby! I had about 300000 messages on facebook asking me if I had delivered the babe. How depressing to write back and say "NO I'm still preggo." Anyways, my lack of posting was definitely due to having NO internet. Comcast just came and hooked us back up. I usually try and stay off the computer when Maeve is up and about, but I just HAD to check in- so she's sitting in the high chair with some gold fish and banana... hopefully that will keep her occupied long enough for me to respond to everyone!

I DO have some news on the baby front though- Wed. night I was sitting on the couch and without getting too gross, a giant wet spot (about the size of a tennis ball?) appeared on my underwear. Hmmmm! I was thrilled- totally thinking it was my water. So I called L&D and spoke to a nurse who was less than pleasant. She told me that it most definitely not my water- that if it were my water, I'd have a big gush and be soaking through everything. Okaaayyy... right lady- that's why I've heard a billion stories of LEAKING fluid. At my doctors appointments, my doctor asks, "Have you had any leakage of fluids?" Not "Have you had any gushes of fluids." I took her advice and chucked it out the window... I called my midwife- she said the L&D nurse was full of crap (well she used another word... :) and to get my butt up there. So around 8:30 or so, my dad came over to watch Maeve (who was in bed, thank goodness) and we headed up to L&D.

OF COURSE- having the luck I do, I got the same dumb nurse I had spoken to on the phone. I can't tell you how many times she made it clear to me that it wasn't my water that was leaking. At one point I actually said "Okay- that's fine if its not my water, I just want to make sure because at this point if by chance it IS my water, I am running the risk of infection." That shut her up.

After a TON of poking and prodding (DOWN THERE...) they got a sample of the mystery "fluid" I was leaking. Then they wanted to get a baseline on the baby and my contractions so they hooked me up to the monitors- UGH- I forgot how uncomfortable those things are! An hour later, the evil nurse came back and told me she was right (I think I wanted it to be my water more for the sake of causing her some humility than me even having the baby that night). BUT my contractions were coming 5-6 minutes apart and they needed to keep me and check for change in a couple of hours. UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! So we settled in for a LONG night. And it was just that- a LONG night. Ryan somehow slept on the chair, I couldn't sleep at all- I kept trying to find comfy positions but every time I'd move the baby would go off the monitor and the alarms would go off. I was kind of stuck in one uncomfy position. Around 2 or so the nurse came back in to check me- she made the conclusion that I had not progressed enough to be considered in labor. Whatever- I didn't even care at that point... I just wanted to go HOME and go to sleeeeep!

Anyways, we're back at home now... turkey is still cookin. I am doing well- someone told me I looked miserable the other day and I snapped back "oh that's funny, I don't feel miserable at all! I'm actually feeling pretty good." And that's the truth- I don't feel miserable at the moment- I have a day that this will be done and we're trying the membrane stripping again on Tuesday... and since it produced such strong contractions for me this past week, I'm holding onto some hope that it might just kick me into labor this week. We'll see. I will keep you updated- pending that my internet doesn't take a dive again...

My first REALLY great appt!

This is the first time I've left the doc this time BEAMING. Remember, I didn't get a traditional ultrasound- mine was in the ER so I didn't get that GREAT moment of seeing my baby for the first time. And almost every appointment I've either been sent to the lab for blood work or have been told some sort of scary/bad news. TODAY things turned completely around & I feel fantastic!

My BP was PERFECT & so was my urine! So strange since I've been spilling a good amount of protien for a few weeks now but today not a trace! THEN the big moment came to be checked for cervical progress. I had myself geared up to hear "your cervix is shut and hard." Instead.... I am 2- ALMOST 3 cm. dilated and 70% effaced. She said by the feel of my cervix labor could be anytime! SO she stripped my membranes (not nearly as bad as I thought it would be!) I did bleed a bit but she said that was fine and actually a good sign that the separating of the membranes from my cervix worked. I already had an ear to ear grin as I was getting ready to schedule my next appointment, but then my day got even better; Laura told me that Dr.P is on call Nov.23rd and she would put me in the books to be induced ON that day unless labor starts before then. SO I can see the light at the end of the tunnel- I WILL NOT GO PAST Nov.23rd!!!! AND God-willing, everything goes okay, she said I should be out within 48 hours- home in plenty of time for Thanksgiving dinner!!!! I am just thrilled. I thought for sure I'd be stuck in the nasty hospital for Thanksgiving but with me down in the books for the 23rd, I'm pretty much guaranteed to be out!!! :) I am sooooo excited!!!

Now, what could make this day even better is if the whole membrane stripping thing actually works and I go into labor tonight! :) So far, not much... I've had a few contractions but that's normal... so we'll see!

36/37 week appt.

Well... weird stuff going on here. Hallelujah- I lost 4 lbs. YEA!!! I know all the weight fluctuation is just water but its still fun to see the scale go DOWN for a change! We talked a lot about my headaches and weird vision things that are going on... and then the doc checked my reflexes. My legs SHOT up off of the table. So he checked them probably 5 more times, and each time they did the same thing. I wasn't sure what was going on because the whole time he was checking them he didn't say a word. Finally he said "your reflexes are a little hyper." I still have no clue what that means (I'm about to google it :) . I am 37 weeks- lets get this baby OUT.
I declined getting my cervix checked even though I've been having a TON of contractions AND I had some pink spotting over the past few days... I was just worried I'd be like a half a centimeter and my cervix would still be hard- I know I'd be so discouraged. So we'll have a cervical check next week.

After my appointment I waddled down to the lab to get my blood work done. Now, this is probably the 20th time during this pregnancy that I've had blood taken. But like I said, weird things are happening- this time when she pulled the needle out my blood literally started SPEWING out- it was disgusting!!! The lab tech put the cotton ball on and then made me sit there for 15 minutes because it would NOT quit bleeding! I have never in my life had that happen to me. Yuck- it was gross and kind of scary.

We'll see what my blood work yields- I'll keep you all updated!

Taking The Challenge.

I think I might have read this either on Nicole B.s blog or Leslie C.s...can't remember! Anyways I guess November is National Blogging month, and the challenge at hand is to blog once a day- 30 days, 30 blog posts. Not a big deal, except a baby is going to be arriving very shortly. We'll see how long I can keep it up :) I think it will actually be a good thing to take time out of the day to blog about all my crazy post partum feelings and hormones!

So I guess this is today's post :) But I thought I would also let you in on a preggo update- I have a UTI :( This marks the 3rd one for me during this pregnancy- one each trimester. YUCK- I hate them- they're painful and suuuper uncomfortable. But I am SO CLOSE to delivering this bubba- I'm trying not to wallow in my current ginormous, gross, uncomfortable state.

I have my 36/37 week appt. on Wed. I'm hoping this baby has decided to take it easy on the growing- every time I hear the words "this is going to be a good sized baby" I kind of cringe, thinking of how hard it was to push Maeve out.

That should do it for today... stay tuned for tomorrow's riveting post!

sighhhh,,,,35/36 week appt.

Today I had another appt.- this time it was with Dr.P. I like Dr.P- he's nice enough. And I really think he knows what he's doing... but would it kill the guy to sit down for 5 minutes and TALK to his patient????? I swear- every time I see him I feel like an idiot because he's half way out the door while I'm asking a question. It's really starting to irritate me.

Here are some appt. stats:
weight is.... LEVELING OFF! haha- that's how the nurse put it :)
BP- good 112/72
urine- spilling some protien but okay
measuring at 37 weeks
doc. estimates the size of the baby to be around 6.5 lbs. GOOD GOD.
heartbeat in the 140s's (baby's not mine)

-overall things are looking good- turkey boy's size is a little alarming & they're going to "keep an eye" on that.

I am so incredibly embarrassed- I had a mini tear fest in front of the dang doctor today. I started to explain how Maeve was 6 lbs. 9 oz. when she was born and that I am terrified to deliver such a big baby (cue the tears about now) and blah blah blah. And he proceeds to tell me that he won't schedule a c-section... if you're confused by reading that, you're not alone- I think I looked up from my tear streaked face like, "What the heck are you talking about?" I am pretty sure I never mentioned a c-section nor did I ask for one- I just wanted to know what he was planning on doing about this GIANT baby (i.e. early induction????? another u/s closer to the due date to see what we're really working with?). I felt like such an idiot- I was fumbling to get the words out that "no I don't want a c-section- I-" but was cut off again- as ONE FOOT WAS OUT THE DOOR (I SWEAR- literally he had the door open and one foot out) he said "well at 37 weeks we'll see how your cervix is and get a game plan then okay?"

Maybe I'm used to sitting down with the midwives and having a nice, relaxed appointment- or my GP- Dr.Bigelow- he'll answer ANY and ALL questions for me while sitting and looking me in the eye... not acting like he has better things to do. But really, is this the norm??? Are all male OB's such jerks??? I swear if I weren't 35 weeks along I'd transfer to U of M... I am sick to death of leaving my appointments upset and embarrassed.

Thanks for listening to my vent :)

HOLY BIG BABY ALERT.

I got my much wanted ultrasound today... not sure if that was a good idea or not- I guess I'll find out in a few weeks. The good news is everything looked fine (according to the tech- I didn't think they were supposed to tell you things like that) AND the baby is head down!!! the bad news is they only have me measuring 10 days ahead... BOOOOOOOOO. There is NO WAY my due date will be changed. And the really scary news is that right now, TODAY, this baby weighs 6 lbs. 8oz. To put this into perspective for you, when I delivered Maeve at 39 weeks and 1 day, she was 6 lbs. 9oz. I AM FREAKING OUT. Several breakdowns have ensued since getting the news that "I'm looking at a pretty big boy." (those again, were the tech's words). I have about a zillion thoughts in my head right now... I want this baby OUT OUT OUT... as horrible as that sounds, he needs to come OUT. I cannot deliver a 9 lb. baby- i just can't. I almost ended up with a c-section pushing Maeve out. I am terrified...scared...super emotional...etc. I might chain myself to the hospital doors starting around 37 weeks if they won't induce me...

When I get my brain back I'll post a pic of the "big boy." He's a spitting image of Ryan... (it was only a 2d ultrasound) but you could still see hair, eyelashes & his GIANT lips. He's a super chunk... wow.

35....errrrrr....37 weeks? :)

I had my 35 week appt. today & overall things are looking UP! :) YEEEHAW!!! My BP was great today (Praise the LORD!) and although I've stopped looking at the scale we didn't have a "weight talk" today. :) The bad news is I've started spilling protien in my urine. I had to be induced last time because of that, so we're keeping a close watch on it. The doc. STILL can't tell me what position this baby is in! So strange! They press and poke all over my belly and just have this weird, quizzical look on their face, like they're feeling an alien or something. ALSO, I am measuring a solid 2 and a half weeks ahead- 37 whoppin' weeks!!!!!!!!! I have an ultrasound scheduled for Friday afternoon to check out how this turkey is hangin' out in there & also to get a weight check (on the baby, that is:) My prayer is that he is dating at 37 weeks and we can bump my due date, which would mean baby time would be coming VERY SOON! We'll see, we'll see!

Thanks for all the thoughts & prayers- I am really hoping that the swelling and BP issues are resolving!

8 Hours In...

to the most disgusting thing EVER- the 24 hour urine catch. Really- this is gross. But I thought I'd updated because last night my BP spiked up to 145/82. The bottom number is fine, but the top was getting pretty close to that 150 mark that is dangerous. So I called L&D. My least fave. doctor was on call, Dr.McDonald- YUUUUUUUUUUCK. I can't stand him- he discharged me from the hospital after having Maeve and he was the most arrogant thing ever. It also doesn't help that I taught his girls in gymnastics for a few years and I've seen him outside of a medical setting- its just weird. Anyways I left this long message about how I've been having swelling, blood pressure and headache issues... and how I was starting the 24 hour urine catch and I just wanted to know if a BP of 145/82 warranted a trip into L&D. Believe it or not, I NEVER got a call back- ever. Now, I know I'm not his patient, but as an on-call doctor, I'm his responsibility like it or not. To say the least, I'm not pleased. Thank goodness it wasn't an emergency, huh??

Anyways Ryan took the BP monitor away from me because I was totally losing it- I was taking my BP every few minutes and then it would be a little higher and I'd start panicking. A massive headache also started brewing... so after a huge thing of gatorade, 2 tylenol PM and a mini-breakdown I fell asleep (all the while Ryan was rubbing my back...wonderful:). This morning, I got up and peed in my jug (haha:), weighed myself and took my BP. To my wonderful delight, my weight dropped by FOUR pounds overnight & my BP was 121/72. AHHHH!! YES! What wonders a good night sleep and lots of fluids will do!!! AND today was the first day in probably 3 weeks that my mom told me I looked okay! (meaning I'm not super puffy) We even played around by pushing on my legs and wrists and we couldn't leave an imprint- something that hasn't happened in weeks! I am not sure why the swelling went SOOOO down overnight- the only thing that I did differently was down a really huge gatorade over night which did cause me to pee a LOT... but still, wow 4 lbs of water weight gone? I am finding this whole swelling/BP thing crazy! The only thing that is kind of making me nervous at this point is the headache that isn't getting better with tylenol. Like I said, I took tyleonl PM last night but unfortunately still woke up with a headache this morning. A headache that doesn't get better with tylenol is yet another reason for concern. But instead of focusing a ton on that, I am trying to stay positive about the BP & swelling going down.
Tomorrow I turn in my jug-o-pee & get a 2nd set of PIH blood work done. I'm hoping to have some good answers as to what is going on after the weekend. I can't believe I'll be 35 weeks next week- I remember when I was preggo with Maeve, my midwife told me that if I were to go into labor at 35 weeks they'd make no effort to stop it- something about that makes this whole thing seem like its finally getting to the end... praise the Lord! Thanks for the thoughts & prayers!

a preggo update.

This past week has been a little strange... I started swelling even more (believe it or not!) and yesterday I woke up and could see my cheeks- that's how swollen my face is! I also gained-get this- FIVE lbs. in one day- OBVIOUSLY this is water weight right??? Especially since I am barely eating now a days, due to lack of room! One of the warning signs Dr. P gave me was to watch for a big jump in weight- I thought 5 lbs. was pretty big, so I called in. Off I waddled for yet ANOTHER impromptu appt. for my swelling. After doing a urine and BP check, I was deemed safe to go home but told to keep a serious eye on my BP. This morning I took it and it was 134/82- WAY higher than normal (my norm is about 106/70) So I called in AGAIN... this time I spoke with the midwife who told me that 134/82 isn't that bad, BUT it does warrant some investigation. I made my 2nd trip to the hospital in 2 days... but this time it was just to pick up a giant, orange biohazard jug. For the next 24 hours I have to collect ALL my pee in this jug... how disgusting is that????????? Then I go back in on Friday for MORE blood work and to turn the jug in. I'm hanging in there, but I won't lie- I'm scared and exhausted and incredibly uncomfortable. Anyways, just thought I'd update...

33 Week Appt.

Same old, same old. Not sure if that's a good or bad thing. I'm super swollen- "PUFFY" is what the nurse called it. I'm measuring 2 weeks ahead (OMG... why won't they just change my due date???) Even the doc wasn't sure on the baby's position... he is the 3rd medical professional in a row who can't tell me how the heck that baby is laying in there.
The doc. wants me to start monitoring my blood pressure at home (great...) and he talked a LOT with me about warning signs for pre-e. It's pretty scary stuff... On a good note, no protien in my urine and today my BP was fine. Apparently though, when you're as swollen as me (haha) it can spike and become really dangerous. So I've got to keep an eye on that.
After Dr. P told me he had me measuring 2 weeks ahead still I asked him if he thought I would be able to deliver a big baby. And he said we'll have to wait until the "moment of truth"- meaning when I am in the midst of pushing. I wasn't too happy with that answer. I remember how desperate I was when I was pushing Maeve out and she was SO TINY!!! I'm afraid that this one is going to get stuck and I'll end up with a C-section. I wish they'd do an u/s already to get a weight on this guy! I need to know what I'm dealing with here :) haha :)
I go back in 2 weeks and THEN my appts. come once a week! WOW. I can't believe it- for so long now I've been wanting to be DONE DONE DONE (and I still do want to be done) but now that its getting closer I'm starting to get really scared about the delivery. Really, my big fear is that this baby will be too big for me and I will have to have a c-section (and an emergency one at that). I keep telling myself the only thing that matters is a healthy baby & mom- and if that means c-section, then so be it.


Here's a pic of me at 33 weeks...

give me the news.

Okay here is a pic of my 30/31 week belly with baby boy:



And here is a picture of my belly at 30/31 weeks with Maeve:



So give me the verdict- how HUGE am I this time around??? My doc says he's pretty sure the baby will be in the 7 lb. range... but I'm not so sure. I had a really hard time pushing Maeve out (an hour & a half) and she was a teeny 6 lbs.! Anxiety is starting to set in that I will have to push out a 10 lb. watermelon... yikes!

29 week appt.

I'm not going to go into numbers anymore with my weight because its insane- out of control and embarrassing. Apparently my body is just packing on the pounds- even when I feel like I am eating a whole lot less. I've cut out fried foods, sweets, pop, etc. Sticking to home cooked meals, bagels for breakfast & usually a bowl of cereal for lunch. HOW THE HECK am I gaining massive amounts of weight???? NO CLUE. The worst part is my doc. is not even the least bit concerned- he has told me twice now that I shouldn't worry about it- easy for him to say since he isn't the one who's gained xx lbs. UGH you have no clue how awful it is to step on the scale and see it jump up by leaps and bounds.

I also had my glucose test today- haha before I left for it I was saying how the orange drink was pretty good tasting. For some reason today, it was awful. It made me sick to my stomach and I felt super shaky afterward- I'm hoping that's not a bad sign- like my sugars are bad or something... although- that could explain the crazy weight.

As far as my regular appointment went- good & bad news- the good? I am measuring almost a full 2 weeks ahead (PRAISE THE LORD- that would put me at delivering in mid november rather than late november.) but the bad news is they STILL won't change my due date- wth??? I've consistently measured ahead but this time he was measuring WAY ahead- my docs explanation? The turkey hit a growth spurt... hmm... apparently we'll check his growth next time and then my doc will make the decision to change my due date or not- PLEASE CROSS YOUR FINGERS FOR ME!!!

Another not so great thing is that the baby is transverse- meaning he's got his feet wedged up on one side of my belly and his head/hands wedged up on the other side. He better flip HEAD down! I DO NOT want a C-section!!! AHHH! Again, my doc said I have a few weeks until we need to really start to be concerned with his position... in the meantime I will be googling how to flip your baby head down :)

That about sums up my appt. I will update as soon as I get my sugar results back... :)

A Quick Update.

So this is day 6 of diarrhea- tomorrow (Friday) will mark an entire 7 days of nothing but the runs for miss Maeve. Dr. Williams had said if it hadn't cleared up by tomorrow then we will have to do some cultures. The good news is she hasn't run a fever in over 24 hours- KNOCK ON WOOD! She is still cranky/whiny & lethargic- mainly after naptime- in the mornings she is actually acting pretty normal. Today was a great morning- she ate a big breakfast (followed by diarrhea) but that didn't slow her down at lunchtime! My mom, Maeve and I went to Daryls and she ate almost an entire quiche by herself :) its great to see her eating normally again- even if it is coming out in liquid later. UGH...

I am 27 weeks today- crazy, because I feel like I am 37 weeks. Every once in awhile, I have these really low moments where I start to think how far I have to go... thankfully I have Maeve to keep my mind off of it the majority of the time. I have noticed that in the past week or so especially, sleep has become SO uncomfortable. I wake up probably 20 times a night (NO exaggeration- maybe more) because lying on my sides is making my hips go numb. So I wake up from the tingling/numbness and have to flip over. I actually just woke up from a nap and my hips are still tingling and my groin feels like I've been riding a horse for 2 weeks straight. I definitely remember this with Maeve... but I am pretty sure it didn't start with her until I was into weeks 30 and beyond. Again, scary that I'm only 27 weeks and already so miserable. YIKES.

Another weird thing that is happening are sore ankles- I never got sore ankles with Maeve and I am attributing this to the simple fact that now that I have a very active 2 year old, I am on my feet a lot more.

This baby moves non-stop. Really- I am totally convinced there are 2 babies in there because the sheer amount of movement. I thought Maeve moved a lot, but no joke- I will do a "kick count" and count probably 20-30 movements within 10 minutes or so. Its nuts. But cool :) And Dr. P always says "an active baby is a healthy baby" so I suppose all is well.

Anyways, that's the basic update on life here. Hope you're having a good week :)

27 weeks... wish I could say "and going strong!" haha... just SO not up for another 3 months...

Maeve loves to feel the bumps & wiggles of her brother :)

HORRIBLE Appointment.

I'm not going to go much into details but I saw the actual doctor today- not the midwives. Normally my appts. with midwives are nice and pleasant, filled with lots of talking. Today, I actually heard my doctor arguing (like MAJOR arguing) with a nurse before he came into my room- it was SO awkward. He came in and before I could even say "how are you?" he had me up on the table measuring me. I had a few important questions I wanted to ask him because like I said, I only see the actual doctor once or twice throughout the pregnancy and this was one of those "special" days. I was literally talking a mile a minute trying to get out all my questions as he's squeezing my stomach, measuring and taking the heartbeat. I was not pleased. He looked at my weight gain (which is a major concern of mine) and said it looks okay- not to get worried about it at this point "just keep an eye on it." Yikes. He added up how much weight I've gained so far- and at 26 weeks, I have gained a whopping 30 lbs. HOLY CRAP. That means in the past month I put on about 8 lbs! I knew it was bad- but not this bad...

After a quick "you're doing great kiddo" he was out of the room. And I was left, with not many answers and even more questions... I HATE those kinds of appointments.

not much to say....

I have kind of put off blogging this week because nothing has been going on... just a lot of parks, playing, cleaning, eating, eating and more eating. I have also been putting off blogging because I am positive no one wants to hear me gripe about my weight gain... but because its my blog and that's about all that is on the up and up lately I'm going to gripe.

I have gained SO MUCH WEIGHT it is truly scary. I won't allow pictures to be taken of my face because its ballooned- and my once skinny legs have thickened right up. Even at the very end of my pregnancy with Maeve I could still be semi- proud of my legs- they didn't ever get too big. This time though, I am truly feeling obese. I just want this to be DONE. I can't imagine gaining one more pound but I know inevitably I will- and it won't just be one pound it will be many before November comes. I feel like one of those rolly poly bugs- I have to roll & slither my way out of bed every 10 minutes to pee and in between the bathroom breaks my hips are going numb from the sheer weight that I'm putting on them when I lay on my side. Even my maternity clothes are tight on me- granted they're all xs because last pregnancy I was still fairly small. All of this would be fine and dandy if I were like 36 weeks or something- but I'm not- I am 26 weeks. I really and truthfully can't imagine going 2 and a half more months at this weight gaining pace.

Tomorrow morning is my 26 week appt. I get the paper work for my glucose test and all the other normal check up stuff. I am just waiting for that horrible conversation about excessive weight gain... how embarrassing. I am also going to make Dr. P confirm that I am measuring only at 26 weeks and not more because I swear, I am HUGE. What a surprise and treat it would be if I was really lets say, 30 weeks! HAHA :) one can dream...

I will update tomorrow with all the gory details of my appt. Including that wretched number on the scale... ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh.