She's here!!!!

So, haven't had much of a chance to update this but I will start by saying that Alice Olivia was born August 20, 2012 at 9:39 p.m. weighing 7 lbs. 11 oz. and was 19 3/4 inches long.

Now, going back to the beginning of the story...

Sunday, August 19th, I wake up in the morning and get up to use the restroom, which is where I noticed I was bleeding. I realized I was in the beginning of labor and went to wake up my husband. I don't think I've ever seen him get out of bed that fast.

I called the doctors office and they said to wait until the contractions were about 5 minutes apart. So we waited......and waited.....and around 2:30 p.m. we headed down to the hospital. They hooked me up to the monitor and checked me out and said that I was still only about 1 cm dilated and maybe 75% effaced. My blood pressure was high so they decided to keep me overnight, especially since I was getting induced in the morning. So they gave me some meds to help me sleep and that was the last night I slept.

The next morning my contractions had gotten MUCH stronger and when they checked me at around 11:30 a.m. they said that I was 4 cm dilated and 100% effaced. They decided it was time to move me to one of the labor rooms. When I stood up and walked to the room, it threw me into full blown active labor. By the time I got into the bed, I was in tears, begging for the epidural. I had the worst back labor and was on the verge of blacking out. Finally, around 3:30p.m., I got the epidural and the doctor gave me Pitocin because my contractions were very irregular. I was able to sleep through the rest of the labor until it was time to push. I slept for about 3 hours and woke up when the doctor came in to check me and told me I was fully dilated and effaced. I waited a little longer to labor down before we started pushing.

My husband stood next to me the whole time and then he suggested watching in the mirror. I really didn't want to, but he said it might motivate me. I decided to try and as soon as I saw that image, the first thing I thought was "Get this kid outta me!". So, yeah, I guess it did motivate me. With two pushes her head came out (and she was screaming already, I might add). One more push and she was out. It was amazing. Definitely a life changing experience and I'm so glad she is with us now (even though I'm soooo tired).

The first few days was really hard because she wouldn't stop screaming. And she wanted to eat constantly. I'm breastfeeding and I was feeding her non-stop. I was on the verge of tears. We called the hospital and they told us that she was just cluster feeding and that it was normal. We had an appt. with the pediatrician on the 3rd day and when they weighed her, she had gone from 7 lbs. 11 oz. to 6 lbs. 5 oz. It was then that we realized that she was not cluster feeding. She was starving because my milk had not come in.

The doctor told us to supplement with formula and come back in 5 days. The day after the appt., a visiting nurse came to the house and weighed her and said she had already gained 5 oz. back. We were so happy. What I was not happy about was the lack of information the hospital had actually given me. Apparently, while I was at the hospital, the lactation consultant there had made note that I did not have a lot of glandular tissue and could possibly not have the milk ducts to exclusively breastfeed. Had they told me this, it could have saved a lot of issues with Alice losing weight and could have caused a lot more issues had we not seen the doctor when we did.

We ended up going back to the doctors this past week and Alice is now up to 7 lbs. We have an appt. on Wednesday and we are hoping she will be back up to her birth weight by then. She is doing so much better with the supplementing. I'm still having issues with having enough milk but it has come in and she's at least getting some.

I can't believe that tomorrow she will be 2 weeks old already. Time flies when you don't get any sleep. :)

Introducing Alice Olivia -

 

~Mrs. C.

Baby update!

Went to the doctors today for my non-stress test and check up. They did an ultrasound and said that my amniotic fluid has gone down and is now well within the normal range.

I talked to my doctor about how I have been feeling - nauseous, super tired, achy, and just all around yucky. She thinks I'm in the beginning stages of labor and feels that I will be going into labor sometime this week. HOWEVER, if for some reason I don't go into labor this week, she scheduled an induction for next Monday the 20th! Yay! Almost done!! I can't wait to meet Alice! :)

Mrs. C.

The beginning of the end....

That's what I'm hoping anyway. I will 37 weeks tomorrow and considered full term. Today I went in for my non-stress test ( which I am now doing 2 a week and weekly ultrasounds) and in the middle of the test I looked at the monitor and realized I had been having quite a few contractions. The nurse noticed too and called in the doctor. I asked her how far apart they were and she said 3-6 minutes apart. I got really excited and she was like "well, it could be that this doesn't progress". So they did an exam and said I was 1 cm dilated, and then said that my blood pressure was a little high. So they decided to send me to the hospital (where I work, mind you) to monitor me for awhile. I ended up having all kinds of tests and such, and now I'm home again and on bed rest. No more work, no more anything until Alice decides to make her debut. I've been home half a day and I'm already bored and restless.

I'm still having regular contractions, but I was told that I wasn't uncomfortable enough yet to be in labor. I asked "How am I supposed to know to come back when everything I've been told is to come when contractions are around 5 minutes apart, and I've already got that?" I was just told, "You will know." Actually, it's my first baby and I don't know, that's why I'm asking you. So, here I sit, every pain, every contraction, wondering, "This is uncomfortable...Is it uncomfortable enough?" I've just been hoping that when the time does come that my water actually breaks so I have a concrete sign that it's time to go. Ugh, I'm so impatient.

So I'm sure I will be updating this page more, seeing how all I can really do anyway is watch movies and play on my laptop. Here are some weekly photos I haven't posted and some new ultrasound pics of Alice.

Alice sucking her thumb.

She was practicing breathing when they were doing the ultrasound. :)

~Mrs. C.

6 weeks left!!

Ugh, I can't wait for this to be over. I'm so uncomfortable. I was fine up until this past weekend. Now the pressure is worse and I've had quite a bit of pain (although not enough to think I am in labor or something is wrong). I can't sleep at all. Every time I move during the night, I get sharp pains in my sides. I just want my baby girl here. Granted, I won't get sleep then either, but at least I will be comfortable for the 1 hour of sleep I will get.

We had our baby shower last weekend and we got so much stuff! We are so thankful for everything we received. The party was so much fun and so was going through everything again when we got home. :)

Here are some weekly photos that I've failed to put up over the past few weeks.

This is the day of my baby shower. Mind the mess in the background.

Mrs.C.

Second Trimester, Here I Come!!

Thank God! I'm starting to get some of my energy back. I am somewhat feeling human again. I actually feel like I can somewhat function.

We got to hear the heartbeat last week. It was amazing! It was so strong and loud. It made me feel relieved to hear that. Just about 6 1/2 weeks til we find out if it's a boy or a girl. I'm so excited for that.

Here's my most recent photos...

So I've gotten some of my energy back, but not a lot....I'm off to take a nap. I just wanted to update this since I haven't done so in awhile.

Mrs. C.

6 Weeks 6 Days.

Tomorrow I will start into my 7th week and all I want to do is sleep. I mean it. I want to sleep ALL day. Which is hard when I am a housekeeper at a hospital and all I do is move constantly ALL day. I get home and as soon as I sit down, I want to sleep. I cook and eat dinner and then immediately fall asleep on the couch. I'm just exhausted.

Today was my day off and I drove to my Dad's house to visit him before he left for Florida for the winter. He leaves next Wednesday. Next time he will see me I will be just about 5 1/2 months along. It will probably be quite a difference. He hadn't said much about the baby since I told him, but today I mentioned it and he said "It's still so weird to hear you say that." Tell me about it! LOL!

Two weeks from today we go for our second appointment at the doctor for the baby. I can't wait. The appointment after that we will be able to hear the heartbeat.

So here's the latest pic....not much different from the last. Still pretty bloated.

6 Weeks 6 Days

Not much else going on. Besides the fact I need a nap.

Mrs. C.