Thursday, October 18, 2012

Levi's Birthday-part 1

I plan on being very honest in
this post and more posts to come. If you are uncomfortable with that, read with caution! ;)

We went to our weekly dr appointment on Monday, October 1st. I had made a little more progress than the week before. Which was encouraging. Dr decided to separate my membranes. Ouch! After my exam he said that if we wanted an induction then we could! Waiting for labor meant baby would only get bigger. So we said YES, let's induce...WHEN? He went and checked the calendar and said Wednesday, October 3rd would be our baby's birthday. It was extremely exciting and scary all at the same time.



We shared the news with family and friends and went home and got ourselves ready. That night I started having some contractions that were lasting one minute every five minutes. They were not extreme but uncomfortable. After an hour I called LD and asked if I needed to come in. The nurse said since I could talk through each one then to wait it out until they got stronger. I decided then that I probably could not go to school the next day. For one I needed a day to finish getting stuff finished and two if contractions continued I could not have handled it with 22 kids.

I spent Tuesday at home resting and doing laundry. Martin went to work to finish up a few things and keep himself busy. Contractions did not get any stronger that day. We ate chick fil a that night. We had planned on a nice night out but it ended up getting late and we couldn't decide what would be best on my tummy.

We were told to be at the hospital Wednesday morning at 5am. If you know us at all, you know we are not morning people. We knew that night would be restless due to anticipating waking up so early. Luckily though we slept fairly well. Our bags and car were packed before we went to bed.



We woke up ate a few quick bites and left the house. We stopped to get Martin a coffee from McD. We arrived at LD at 5:15. We had already pre registered and knew that we could just walk in and get started. But when they said that I didn't quite believe it would be that easy. But it was. They took us straight to the room and had me put on my gown. No meet and greet. Nothing. It happened a little too fast.

Side note-I have always been terrified of hospitals because of all the wires etc from IVs. My fear is they will get snagged and be ripped from the patient. I've never been in the hospital, had any kind of surgery, much less an IV.

So to say I was nervous was an understatement. The nurse started my IV at 5:30 but it didn't work. So she had to do redo it on the other hand. She took my blood and started my fluids. At 6:30/7 they started my pitocin and there was a nurse change. I knew who my nurse would be ahead of time. Tommie finally came in and realized the first nurse messed up my blood she took so she would have to do it again. YAY another poke. I quickly started feeling some small contractions. They reassured me that my wires were safe and my fears were put at ease.



At 7ish Dr Tadvick came in to break my water. It took a few tries (details later) but finally worked. Contractions continued to increase. They wanted me extremely uncomfortable before I got Demerol. Both sets of grandparents showed up around this time.

I finally got to the stage where I was hurting bad enough. I wanted to try and not get an epidural right away. Dr T said several times he thought I could do without. I knew though that if I had ANY back labor I would need the epidural. Sure enough after the Demerol and still feeling the pain ALL in my back they called the anesthesiologist. It didn't take too long for him to come.

Martin stood in front of me and held me still through my contractions as the anesthesiologist started the epidural. It hurt so bad. He kept telling me (with an accent) steady ma'am. Steady ma'am. I finally couldn't take it and said it was hurting. He told me those were contractions and I said again no it was the epidural. So he then took it all out. Ill never forget that pain. He found a different spot and tried again. Yes a second attempt. It still hurt but not as bad this time. The second time the nurse held me still giving Martin a break. I've always seen on TV that after given an epidural woman are happy and feel nothing. It was true. It happened. It was fantastic. But sadly, short lived. In about an hour, I could feel every contraction on my left side. It was terrible. I know contractions are bad. But when you go through getting an epidural and anticipating the relief, and it doesn't work, it's frustrating. Martin stayed by my side and mom and mom in law and sis in law talked me through each one. Dr came back and gave me some narcotics. It seemed to work. Sadly again, not for very long. This time I could feel it all on both sides. Every contraction. I attempted breathing through each one but evidently I was hyper ventilating. My face went numb and my hands were locking up and Martin couldn't open them. It was a little scary. Tommie coached me through my breathing so my hands got better. In the mean time we had a ton of support with us. Lots of family and friends. At this point I'm not sure who all was there and I really didn't care if they saw what I was going through.

I knew it was getting late. I was starving. The Rangers were loosing. I was only dilated to a 6 and not progressing.

They kept checking me but they couldn't tell me any good news. At 7:00 I finally was dilated to an 8. They said they would give me another hour to see if I get to a 10. At some point I got more narcotics but again didn't last and I could feel everything. AGAIN.

So lets recap. Admitted at 5 am. 1 toaster streudel in my system. 2 epidurals. Which wasn't working. 15 hours of hard labor. I was exhausted.

At 8:00 Dr T came in and said I wasn't going to progress any more. It was time for a c section. I was all for it. I was physically and emotionally drained. My medical staff was very helpful and knew what I had gone through and reassured me meds would work and I would not feel a thing.



I think they injected me at least 5 times before surgery. They wanted to be very sure I wouldn't feel anything else. Martin sat by my side. As he had all day. It was very quick and within a few minutes they were holding our baby boy above my head. He was perfect.



Martins sister was Levi's nurse. She took care of him immediately after and Martin got to help.



I immediately became nauseous and got sick. They had to knock me out to stop me from getting sick. Next thing I knew I was in recovery.




To be continued....

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Speechless

Well I have battled for a while to sell our glider and ottoman for several reasons. For one, it was too $$$$ to get reupholstered; two, it was a little big for the room; and three, I wanted something a little more gender neutral. We originally bought it from a friend and other than I was way too indecisive there was nothing wrong with it. But after weeks of going back and forth I found exactly what I needed (for free shipping). So, yesterday I posted it to Craig's List and bought the new one. M was hesitant to buy a new one so soon without knowing if we could sell but I knew that it was a great glider and it would happen!! Well, little did I know that it would happen so fast. This morning I received 4 interested buyers. The third person called and said she was very interested as long as she could come today at 6!! How was I to say NO? So 6:00 came around and there was a cute couple with a little boy at our door. They were very friendly people from Clyde, America. Martin mentioned that we had a boy on the way and she proceeded to ask some questions. Like, how far along I was (28 wks), have we had any sonograms (yes, 1), have we had a 3D/4D sonogram (no, I wish). After some more chatting, she offered for us to come in and have a 3D/4D sonogram......for FREE!!!!!!! Ya I couldn't believe it either. She also said we can bring family!!!! They were so nice and friendly. I found myself back in the house, speechless and shaking. I just couldn't quite get over how nice they had been. They didn't HAVE to do that, they wanted to. I still am in shock. So our appointment is tomorrow night!!! Ya so quick, I know!! We will definitely be getting them a little thank you gift!!! --- I've been struggling on what to post lately. I've wanted to keep up with my weekly posts. And I will. I kind of feel though as it sometimes is read in a negative way and I don't ever want to come across that way. Pregnancy has been the biggest blessing and I have enjoyed every minute of it. I have blogged this process to write down the facts. Not to complain or sound ungrateful. Anyways, I'll be back soon blogging about this baby boy who is already bringing smiles to our faces and makes us laugh every single day. Hillary-Signature

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

23 weeks



How big is baby this week? The size of a large mango.

Due Date: October 8th, 2012

Symptoms: SLEEPY!!!!

Cravings: grape juice

I am loving: SEEING the baby kick!!  It's not too often but there are times where he gets a good kick in and we can see my tummy punch out.

Sleep: I don't think i'm getting a full nights rest.  I am constantly tossing and turning.  I'm getting used to going to the bathroom.  I think if I could lay in one spot for a little bit longer I would feel better rested.

I miss: subway sandwiches, shrimp & wine!!!!!!!

I am looking forward to: a weekend at the RIVER!! Even though I won't be floating this year, it will still be fun hanging out with all of our friends!!!!

I'm spazzing about: nothing.  it's summer, so i am not complaining!

Best thing about this week: getting in the pool!!!! :)

Milestones: His sense of movement well developed by now, my baby can feel me dance. And now that he's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound, I will be able to see him squirm underneath my clothes. Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that my baby's ears pick up are preparing him  for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as the dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze him  when he hears them outside the womb.

Movement: oh yes :)

It's a...: BOY - no name yet

Exercise: we've done some walking.  that's it.

Diet: doing my best.  eating a lot.  as soon as I finish one meal I'm ready for the next... :/

Hillary-Signature

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Gender Reveal

It's the new fad.  But there is a reason...it was SOO much FUN!!!  Thanks to Pinterest, planning was super easy, the only tricky part...not telling anyone what we were having!!!

We decided to go ahead and find out before the party.  End of year at school is hectic and I procrastinated getting a cake booked.  So I would need to make our own cake.

We went to the sonogram dr on Monday morning.  We had to wait a while to actually be seen so the anticipation was driving us crazy.  When we finally got to the room, the dr asked us right away if we were going to find out the gender of the baby...YES was all i could say.  As soon as they put the stick thing on my tummy we could tell right away!  Baby was in the perfect position.  The dr said everything looked great on the sonogram.  So we went to eat lunch with my mom and dad.

I then had to go back to school for the afternoon but i did FANTASTIC and did not give any hints to ANYONE!!  I think bets were being placed that i would slip.  But i was determined.  We had to continue to keep our lips sealed until Saturday.  It ended up not being too hard...at school we were getting things finished and rooms packed up for summer.  At home we had just ripped out carpet and put in laminate floors and painted the living room.  A lot of work had to be done before Saturday....we were BUSY!

But Saturday finally came!  Here are some pictures from that night.

Guests chose a lei to cast their vote...we gave them some pointers to help them out as well.


Team Pink


Team Blue


Instead of a guest book, we had a baby book to sign.


Decorations


And for some reason I am missing the inside of the cake but it was BLUE!!!!

Friends and Family
                 

Thank you everyone that came and shared our excitement!  We were beyond blessed with the LOVE in our home!  Next task...naming this little boy of ours!! :)

Hillary-Signature

22 weeks


How big is baby this week? The size of a spaghetti squash

Due Date: October 8th, 2012

Symptoms: a lot more heartburn

Cravings: none really

I am loving: feeling MORE movement

Sleep: hasn't been too bad until this week.  starting to get uncomfortable, a lot of tossing and turning, waking up extremely hot and burning heartburn

I miss: subway sandwiches-still

I am looking forward to: getting the nursery ready/finished.  all fabric has been ordered, waiting on one more to come in.  all furniture is here but it hasn't all been put together yet.

I'm spazzing about: nothing.  it's summer, so i am not complaining!

Best thing about this week: feeling baby move a lot more and having M finally feel the kicks.  we can also see my tummy bump out when he kicks.

Milestones: At 11 inches  and almost 1 pound, baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment

Movement: oh yes :)

It's a...: BOY - gender reveal post coming soon

Exercise: none and i am feeling pretty guilty about it.  i have enjoyed laying on my couch this week.  but i won't be able to do it much longer so i will kick myself into gear next week!!

Diet: pretty healthy.  this week though sweets aren't as repulsive as they have been so i have been indulging a little bit.

Hillary-Signature

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

16 weeks




How big is baby this week? The size of an avocado

Due Date: October 8th, 2012

Symptoms: going to the bathroom more often and unfortunately a lot thirstiest.

Cravings: Egg McMuffin :)

I am loving: feeling a tiny bit of movement!!!!!! It feels like butterfly wings fluttering inside.

Sleep: we'll as I write this it's 3:45am. Haven't had this problem in a while.

I miss: subway sandwiches!!!!!!

I am looking forward to: picking up our glider next weekend when we go to DFW.

I'm spazzing about: keeping my stress down!!!! Yesterday may have been a tad too much but came home and took it easy.

Best thing about this week: feeling baby move

Milestones: Getting ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, the baby will double his or her weight and add inches to his or her length . Right now, he or she's about 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. His or her legs are much more developed, head is more erect than it has been, and eyes have moved closer to the front of the head. The ears are close to their final position, too. We are watching what we say...tiny bones forming in baby's ears mean he or she can now pick up our voice. A few more minuscule changes: Eyebrows, lashes, and hair are starting to fill in, and taste buds are forming.

Movement: yes. April 22-felt it once or twice in the afternoon. April 23- felt quite a bit. :)

It's a...: ?

Exercise: Monday we had a pep rally. I'm the mascot for our elementary school and let's just say that wore me out. I will def have a fill in until this baby comes. Thanks Aunt Carla!!!

Diet: Nothing weird. Yet.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Thursday, April 19, 2012

15 weeks

...Plus a few days

How big is baby this week? The size of an apple

Due Date: October 8th, 2012

Symptoms: I am making more trips to the bathroom day and night!!

Cravings: This week has been orange juice. BIG time. Martin had to leave work the other day to bring me some!!! :)

I am loving: the growing baby bump. I want people to know I'm pregnant, not just getting fatter!!!


Sleep: it has been ok. I've positioned my pillows just so. It has been working so far. The dreams on the hand....can GO. They have been too bizarre for me!!!!

I miss: room freshners!!! I can't handle them AT ALL!!!!

I am looking forward to: may 21st so we can see the baby again and find out boy or girl!!!!

I'm spazzing about: fabric!!!!

Best thing about this week: bump has grown!

Milestones: He or she is busy moving amniotic fluid through the nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in the lungs begin to develop. The baby's legs are growing longer than his or her arms now, and he or she can move all those tiny joints and limbs.

Movement: Not yet, but I'm hoping it will be SOON!!!!

It's a...: ?

Exercise: I'm up and down all day with the kiddos. We have been pretty active on the weekends.

Diet: lots of chicken. Fruits and veggies. Nothing weird.