Thursday, April 30, 2009

I CAN BREATHE!

**** UPDATE!! ****

5:25 pm...definitely continuing the "practice contractions" but they've moved lower and to the sides and are VERY tight. Feeling energized but a little nauseated.

5:56...still a lot of tightness all over and some radiating downward. Will keep my eye on them tonight.

ORIGINAL POST:

While I feel like I'm on "high alert" for signs of impending labor, this one almost escaped unnoticed...DRRRR!!

It's almost 2:30 and I JUST realized that, while I've been having plenty of the up-high contractions (BHs, no doubt...in fact, I'm having one right now!), they have NOT been accompanied by the "can't breathe deeply/lung tightening" sensation I've had for weeks now, where I have to lean over or stretch out to find relief.

AND, I've been going potty an awful lot today. Hmmmmm. Sitting on my bladder more, perhaps?? Has he "DROPPED??"

My doc asked me yesterday, when I asked HER if he'd dropped at all--"Can you breathe more easily??" cuz she knows I'd been complaining about that for a while. Yeah, ah..."NO." Hardly. But TODAY...yeah, none of the feelings of my lungs being squeezed and like I wanted to be on one of those torture devices that stretches you limb from limb, like I need more room in my diaphragm. I can breathe!!!!

Has he settled a little lower, perhaps?? Dropped somewhat??

Also, I found Andrew's birth story on-line, so I'd have a point of reference with this birth...and my BHCs were at their worst on Thanksgiving, a mere two days before Andrew was born. Mmmm-hmmm. Two days! Looking back, I'd had them off and on for a month or so, but nothing very noticeable--but the last few days, they've definitely been noticable!!

All good signs...but I'm still allowing for the possibility of this going on for another two weeks or more.

In fact, when I calculate my due date from conception, almost every source puts me due closer to May 11-13. The 13th was my first prediction, too. So if I were to still go a week past that, I'd be looking at May 20 (if my doc and I "let me go" that long). Wow. That's almost three weeks! Then again, that's only three weeks.

Either way, we're in the true "final stretch!" Could be any day now!

In honor of this new development, enjoy this song I heard on a different blog. It's beautiful! Here's a YouTube link.

Mat Kearney's "Breathe In, Breathe Out"

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

39 weeks, OB update

So the story is, I've been having contractions for the last week or so...enough to time them and take notice. Yesterday, I started getting this tight ball at the top middle of my belly when I'd feel myself tighten--like a baseball! NOT a baby body part, either, because it wasn't moving--it just tightened, then loosened. So we started thinking, "Oh, goody, contractions!" and thought things might be moving. We remember when I was in labor with Andrew that I had Drew feel my stomach tighten in the same way...the difference with him was, it was also accompanied by the contractions in the lower abdomen.

Alas, I saw my doctor today and she said, yes, different parts of the uterus contract at different times...but it doesn't do anything to actually change your dilation or cervix--they're just uncomfortable and annoying!!

So, yeah, the "contractions" aren't doing anything except making me semi-miserable off and on all day! BUT, the good news is, I know what to look out for--the lower, menstrual-like cramping I had when labor started with Andrew. My first contraction when I woke up that day was low and felt "different," and sure enough--labor time! They just got more intense and closer together and all that--so that's what we're waiting for now.

In other news, I haven't dilated any more and may be even dilated less because of how he's sitting. In fact, my cervix was so high that she couldn't be sure even of the 2cm and she had planned to sweep my membranes--but said it would've been hard to do, and really uncomfortable for me. Obviously that wasn't a good option and she really prefers to "let nature take its course" so I'm glad for that.

He hasn't moved any lower and things haven't really progressed in a week--except that I FEEL better and gained .5lb. instead of losing! I know I've eaten SO much better in the last week, and now I can imagine how much more he needed and how much I needed even more than that. I definitely wasn't "eating for two" and I regret the time I spent feeling so miserable and not understanding that my body just needed more fuel. Live and learn. It helps that the anxiety is so much better--that makes a huge difference. In fact, the last couple of days I've felt super-energized and clear-headed, which has been nice--and my appetite is back! YEAH!

So no real "news," except that we're probably looking at another week. Well, and my blood pressure and his heart rate and all of that were all beautiful--which is a HUGE blessing!!

I've got a women's luncheon to help out with at church Sat. (I would like to be there--it should be fabulous!) and hopefully my Blessingway with a few close friends Sat. night--looks like I'll make it! I go back to the doc Tues...then Wed. is my due date--and after that, I'll be getting pretty antsy! I don't mind going past-due--I told my doc I'm totally OK with going to 41 weeks. I would, however, like him safely in my arms by Mother's Day!!

So here's pictures from today--it's getting hard to find tops that cover my enormous belly, so I opted for this dress--but it made me look massive!!

39 weeks and HUUUUGE!!



No wonder people looked at me warily in Target--I truly do look like I'm about to POP!!!



At least here you can see that I do still have a waist!! :)



And the neked belly yesterday.



We'll see how many more of these updates I'll do--my doctor said she'd love for today to have been the last day she sees me in the office!! Good thing GOD IS IN CONTROL!!

Saturday, April 25, 2009

9.5 months/38 weeks...what's happenin'??

This feels an awful lot like those days before you know for sure that you're pregnant, when you think you might be, and you hope you are...but you don't want to get your hopes up or end up looking silly...but, gosh, you think that you really could be...

And that's how I'm feeling today.

Sarah and I looked at my belly this morning and, um...it changed. Flattened. He kinda disappeared a little. To me, it's obvious that I look different--less of a "watermelon belly." Almost like I did a month ago!

And, whoa, Nelly...all day, there's been cramping and pressure and he's definitely sitting lower because his feet aren't reaching up as high. He's been VERY active as well. I dunno...I just feel a little different. The pains and strains are different.

So maybe he's warming up.

Oh, and my back hurts, too, even as I sit here. Drew could even feel my belly tightening earlier today. Nothing we can track or anything conclusive, or akin to what I felt when labor started last time...but I do feel different. Something has changed.

Oh, how I'd love to go into labor tonight!!

I figure a nice, slow warm-up would be nice, too...then things really get rolling, but with a head start, making labor faster and easier...

My real prediction is that he is warming up (I'm getting warm just thinking about it) and I go to the doc Wed. having changed slightly. Maybe he's more engaged or has "dropped"...maybe I'm effacing...he's at like a 0 station...I'm more dilated...something! She strips my membranes, labor gets going and we've got ourselves a baby by next weekend (or ON the weekend), still a few days before my due date. I can take him to the women's luncheon, he's here for Mother's Day...oh, that'd be nice!!

Then there's a chance that tomorrow I'll feel normal again and I have another couple weeks to go!! I have to allow for that possibility.

In other news...my appetite has finally returned and I'm trying so hard to eat well and eat a LOT, so that Ethan is sucking me dry. Our new theory is that I was eating just enough for him--therefore, I was left with very little energy or nutrients, thus my feeling lousy. My new mission is to bulk up a few pounds and eat healthily, and as much as I can--especially protein. I've done well for two days now and hopefully it will continue.

And now...PICTURES! It's hard to get the same angle, but I swear, today my belly just looks different!!! Here ya go.

37 weeks/full term.



37.5 weeks.



38 weeks.



38 and 3 days. See how it's less pointy and more "flat?"



Not convinced?? Try the other angle.

Maternity portraits, 36 weeks. Very "Watermelon-ish."



37 weeks




37.5


38 weeks



38 weeks 3 days



So...we shall see!!

Monday, April 20, 2009

37.5 weeks, belly shots & update

This is more for future reference, to see how/if my belly changes in the days to come. Well, it's sure to grow, of course...but I'm wondering if I'll "drop" or start to actually get smaller. With Andrew, I was bigger on my due date, then actually smaller two days before labor started. I think amniotic fluid levels go down at the end, plus they're sitting so low that your profile changes.

Anyway, over the weekend, I definitely started feeling different. Whether he's lower or not, I don't know...but he's definitely doing something different because all the jolts and movements I'm feeling down low are NEW--and there are a lot of them! It's like he's just swaying back and forth, like break dancers do on their heads. And tap dancing on my bladder and cervix. And tickling my ribs with his fingers or toes.

His head seems to be resting in a lower spot and causing all manner of discomfort and bizarre sensations. I'm getting a lot of shooting pains into my pelvis and quite a bit of pressure around my cervix. I even have hemorrhoids again for now good reason, like he's pressing on that, too! Oh, and diarrhea. Lovely. It may just be the anxious/excited factor causing the belly ache, but who knows??

What I do know is that I felt this way about two weeks before Andrew was born. I journaled about similar sensations and changes right around 38 weeks. So, maybe we're getting closer and he'll be here sooner rather than later.

I'm betting that there will be a change from last week when I see my OB on Wednesday--maybe I'll be calling Drew to tell him to get on the next flight! :)









Friday, April 17, 2009

I'm getting a newborn!!!

The reality that there will be a newborn in the house within the month hasn't QUITE sunk in yet. AT ALL.

I have no bassinet (my co-sleeper was loaned out and I can't get in touch with my friend to get it back), there's no nursery (he'll be rooming with us and his stuff is in our room), none of the baby gear (swing, bouncy seat) is out of the garage yet, and over all, there just isn't any evidence that a brand new little human will soon be joining our family.

Someone asked me yesterday if I'm imagining holding Ethan in my arms. Well...kinda. I am so focused on the days leading up to the birth and the labor and delivery itself, that the END RESULT of a baby is sort of an afterthought. Weird, huh?? I know I will surely savor the moment when it happens, of course. And I'm viewing my hospital stay like a vacation. Staying in bed, having food brought to me, no obligations except to hold, feed and love my new son...

But still, the reality hasn't quite hit.

In other news, this precious, hand-knitted newborn hat arrived yesterday from a bloggy friend. The kindness of strangers never fails to amaze me!! She wanted him to have a cute hat for his hospital stay (and his first pictures) instead of the hospital-issued hats. I adore it and imagining Ethan, brand new and squishy, makes my heart happy.



Wednesday, April 15, 2009

full term photos

We're full term--HOORAY!!!



Bare belly.



Other side



Bare.



Now we're in the "home stretch!"

37 weeks--OB report

*** TMI alert!! For women's eyes only! ***

My doctor and I were both excited today that I am "full term." We made it!!!

Drew and Andrew came along so that was fun!

My belly measured 37cm for 37 weeks, right on. Gained 1.5 lbs FINALLY, which puts me up to right around 18 total (I think). My appetite has returned so it's nice to enjoy food again and not be forcing myself to eat.

Ethan's heart-rate was in the 140s. He had to be sleeping cuz he'd been pretty quiet for the hour or so beforehand, whereas typically, he's jumping around like crazy with a heart rate in the 160s.

My blood pressure was good, as always.

And, of course, she "checked" me. I was never checked during my pregnancy with Andrew so I have no point of comparison...but I am 2 cm and my vagina is starting to soften slightly, but is still quite high. So...things are starting to soften and prepare, of course, but he hasn't dropped and there are certainly no signs of impending labor. She asked if I'm contracting and I said I haven't really noticed--but there are lots of jolts, tightening and pressure that could easily BE contractions.

She gave Drew the all clear to go out of town next week--we're figuring that I've got at least a week before things get going. PHEW!

The highlight was when she was listening for Ethan's heartbeat with the Doppler and Andrew was watching her and said, "Be careful with Ethan." HA! He's already looking out for his little brother!

The building where my OB's office is sits right next to the hospital so we took different routes to get there and back, so we have plans A and B for getting to the hospital. We also saw the maternity and emergency entrances, so it'll depend on when we arrive as to which one we use. So I feel better about that!!

Afterward, Drew treated me to an Icee and a Snickers--yum!! And he didn't have to go back to work, so we're all home, enjoying the cool afternoon and some downtime.

My mom is coming to stay this weekend because my dad will be a few miles away at the race track and Drew is planning to head across town to their house to do some soul searching and praying. So he'll be close by if anything happens. Then he leaves Monday for Florida for a church planting conference with our pastor, so mom is staying the nights he's gone (Mon., Tues. and Wed.). It's more to keep me company and hang out with Andrew than "just in case," but I will feel better having a birthing coach nearby should things start changing. I'm banking on Drew arriving home to a slightly larger and more miserable wife Thursday night!

And, of course, we'll know more on Wednesday when I go back at 38 weeks!

In the meantime, no hiking or heavy lifting for me! Or vacuuming or mopping or strenuous chores...maybe just sipping Starbucks drinks and watching movies, y'know, just to be safe...

37 weeks...92% done...3 weeks from EDD!

Most sources call 37 weeks full term, others go with 38.

I have now completed 37 weeks--three weeks to my due date!!

Here's me at about 36.5 weeks on Easter Sunday.



My ankles were very puffy when we returned from Easter Sunday, which is strange because I didn't have to DO anything all day! We did walk to my parent's nearby park and back, but that was less than an hour on my feet. Doesn't take much, I guess!!



Here you can see it even better, especially my right ankle. Whoooa.



I am also 1 week from the "birth month," which places your due date in the middle and gives you two weeks on either side--which is when 85% of babies are born. So I'm still earlier than "normal" and that's fine by me because Drew is set to go out of town next week and return just after I hit 38 weeks. I'll be "keeping my legs crossed" until he returns, and then still not "trying to get things started" until I hit 39.

I'm putting quotes around everything because it is not, of course, up to me!! Only God knows when this baby will make his appearance!!

Drew and Andrew are tagging along to my OB appointment today, which is exciting--Drew has never met her before. Ethan, meanwhile, is definitely active this morning and I am feeling some pressure down low--but I had all that at the end with Andrew, too. I didn't have a whole lot of warm-up with his birth except a few Braxton Hicks after a long day...but when that first "real" contraction hit, there was no stopping it and I knew that was "IT." No false labor or anything, although we did time contractions the day before briefly but they were very mild and never picked up. Hopefully, I'll remember what the real thing feels like--no false alarms!!

My anxiety is all but gone, although I do have to keep myself busy and pray a lot to keep it at bay. Like today, knowing I'm going to the doctor, the anxiety levels start to try to creep up--but I'm keeping it positive and reminding myself that these doctor visits are the most exciting!! The hemorrhoids are also gone and not bothering me, assuming I rest and don't sit for long periods of time. I do have a card order to fill but I'll sit on the Boppy while I work! My weight gain got stuck again--we'll see what her scale says. I swear, this baby just takes exactly what I'm putting in, cuz I feel like all I do is eat, and I make sure it's all healthy, too! Weird.

My midwives never checked my cervix when I was pregnant with Andrew and I still question why it's done routinely. No matter what she tells me, it's really meaningless. You can be totally closed up and then change in a day, or open to 2-3cm for weeks!! The reason I'll allow it today is because Drew is going out of town. I want a head's up if anything is "happening" and knowing it's not would be comforting, too.

P.S. I just checked myself and my cervix is VERY high and decidedly closed, so we'll see if my doc agrees!!

I'll post the OB report when I get back! :) Oh, and maybe a belly shot, too. At this point, it'll be fun to compare once he "drops," so I'll probably post a picture once/week.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

36 weeks...9 months...4 weeks to go!!

I would say that week 35 was probably my most "eventful" to date, for several reasons.

1. I experienced my first true adverse symptom of pregnancy--anxiety. It started Wednesday night and looking back, I think it was because I'd been re-living Andrew's birth as I recounted his birth story, then added to it by reading a book about the finer points of birth. My symptoms were sweaty hands and feet, feeling a little "foggy-headed" and just a general feeling of something like impending doom. It was like the thought of actually having this baby soon set in--and freaked me out!

I got through the night but it started up again as soon as I woke up Thursday, to the point that I couldn't eat and was just hanging on by a thread mentally, mostly due to ominous thoughts that were completely UNrelated to birth. I had my OB appointment that afternoon and my friend offered take me to lunch beforehand and drive me there and back, God bless her. I was anxious all through lunch and couldn't touch my food--I just drank water and tried to not think about anything but the present moment. I felt better at the doctor's office and everything checked out perfectly, so I knew there wasn't anything truly "wrong." She told me it was hormonal. The sweating, the anxiety, the feeling foggy-headed...all hormones.

Friday was another challenging day with a lot of time spent on the couch, just trying to focus my thoughts and get through. Friday night, Drew and I did a lot of talking and praying and I was able to sleep better.

Saturday was my shower and I was a little better, but still not myself. I just felt...anxious! It was toward the end of the shower that I felt the fog sort of lift, and Drew said he thought it was partly because I was just anxious about the event itself--which is very unlike me!! Normally, I'd be anxious/excited and maybe have a stomach ache but the other symptoms were new to me! By the time we got home, I was so relieved to be feeling better that I just laid on the couch and chilled.

Sunday, I spent the morning in bed, again, relieved to be feeling back to normal, and spent a lot of time just resting in the Lord and praying. Drew and I got to talk more about what happened, too. I think hormones were at work at first, but were exasperated by my re-living my last birth, then made worse by the stress of the doctor visit and the impending shower. Hormones do funny things to you! Plus, it dawned on me after a Starbucks tea on Saturday, that I hadn't had caffeine since it all started, so I was probably experiencing withdrawals!! Sheesh.

Drew and I prayed about it and god was reiterating the word PEACE. So since then, I've been trying to take my thoughts captive, rest in God's peace, view my circumstances through a lens of peace and pass peace on to others--all of which have helped me feel almost 100% normal ever since--save some sweaty hands and feet!

So it was a minor hiccup but I'm glad it's over and glad to be one week from full term!

2. I had my baby shower! :) I'll post pictures on my main blog and link back here ASAP.

3. I had my maternity portrait session! Find the link in the previous post

As for week 36...I am not--I repeat, NOT--going to psych myself up for "going early."

All pregnant women probably wish for their baby to be born at about 38 or 39 weeks--nice and ripe but not overly so. And every week at the end gets you another half-pound as far as the baby's weight, so two weeks can result in a baby that's a pound heavier! For a woman having natural childbirth, you kinda hope to not have any more weight on the baby than necessary!

Having gone 6 days past-due last time, I can honestly say that I have no desire to go past my due date this time. The caveat, however, is that Andrew was born at a healthy 8 lbs. 4 oz. and has been miraculously healthy ever since...so you can't argue with that! He definitely came when he was ready. He also had passed meconium, though (and the odds increase that they will, the longer they 'cook'), which created an "emergency situation" at the end of my labor, so that resulted in a less-than-ideal birth. So I'd like to avoid that this time, too, and thankfully, the odds are in my favor.

Today marks the first time I felt pressure on my cervix--just a tad, when I stood up from the computer. Right down the middle, though, and fairly intense! Ya never know, maybe I'll be dilated a little when I go in for my 37 week appointment next week!

Monday, April 6, 2009

maternity portraits!

Here's a sneak peak...



...but check out the best

HERE


Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Andrew's birth story

~~~ Rough draft!! ~~~

I figure I'll be linking to this eventually so I may as well go ahead and write it. It will be interesting to compare Andrew's and Ethan's when the time comes. I'm hoping Ethan's will be muuuuch better!

The first part of the story involved practicing fertility awareness for about a year to avoid pregnancy, then we "tried" for about four cycles before I found out I was pregnant on March 11, 2005. My due date was November 20th, my mom's birthday (266 days from conception).

I'll start out by saying that we planned to do a home birth with Andrew, so I saw a midwife (Wendi) for all of my prenatal care. I had interviewed her before I even got pregnant, so I called to tell her I was pregnant, but didn't see her until I was 12 weeks along. Besides one blood test, I didn't have any procedures done during my pregnancy. No ultrasound, no genetic testing, nothing. I gained 30lbs total, starting at 158lbs. and ending right at 189lbs. I'm 5'9" by the way! I had no complications and no issues and was declared "perfect" at every prenatal visit. I saw a chiropractor, too, throughout my pregnancy, which definitely helped with the backaches and discomfort. They predicted a fast, easy delivery.

Since my plan was a home birth, we had everything ready and I planned to use our sunken tub for relief. I had the birth all planned out...my mom would be there for moral support and my dad would be there to take pictures intermittently during labor and after the birth. Mom would also help take care of the midwives. I would labor until it got difficult, then move to the tub. I actually thought I'd try a water birth, if it worked out that way. When the baby was born, Drew would announce the gender of the baby (and maybe even catch the baby, too!). The midwives would lay the baby on my chest while the cord stopped pulsing, then Drew would cut the cord. We'd stay in the tub, bonding as a family, until the placenta was birthed, then everyone would get cleaned up and moved to the bed. We'd get to spend those first hours nursing and being together, without all the hullabaloo of the hospital or any extra interventions. It was a great plan, and we had every reason to believe it would happen that way.

I had asked the midwives how many times they'd had to do a hospital transfer. Besides one true emergency situation, they said "never." The only reason I thought I'd end up at the hospital was because I couldn't handle the pain.

My due date came and went. The next week was Thanksgiving, and several people predicted that I'd have the baby on Thanksgiving. We normally went back to Drew's aunt and uncle's house about two hours away every year (where we'd been introduced by his sister back in 2001) but didn't make the trip in case I went into labor. His mom and siblings were there and were hoping to come visit the baby before returning home to New Mexico.

On the way home from my folks' house on Thanksgiving, I was definitely uncomfortable and may have been having some Braxton Hicks contractions, or just mild pre-labor contractions. Drew and I even timed some that night, and he could feel my belly harden--but nothing became of it.

Friday was a long, boring day. I was so done being pregnant, at 5 days past due!! That night, I expressed how miserable I was to Drew and he said, "Well, let's pray that you'll go into labor tonight." Great idea, Honey!!!! So before bed, we did.

At 4:00a.m. on Saturday, November 26th, I woke up to a new kind of sensation, along my lower abdomen, that was decidedly different from what I'd been feeling up until that point. It was a pulling pain and I looked at the clock and thought, "I think this is it."

I timed contractions during those wee morning hours, and they kept going! By 7:00a.m., I called my mom, just to give her a head's up. She was planning to come over, anyway, but I told her to pack for the duration and bring the soup she'd made for the midwives.

Drew got up around 8:00a.m. to go to work (he had a retail job and worked weekends) and could feel my belly tighten with my contractions, and said something like, "Yeah, you're probably in labor." He's a fairly laid back kinda guy!! He said he'd go open the store and to let him know how it went and he'd come back. People were amazed after the fact that I let him leave to go to work when I was in labor--and he worked 45 minutes away! I wasn't worried, though, partly because my mom was coming over.

By 11:00a.m.
, I called the midwives to tell them I was probably in early labor and they said to keep them posted. Friends came by around then to drop off a birthday gift (my birthday was Nov. 29) and I remember definitely noticing the contractions during their visit, but I was still handling them easily and talking through them.

At 2:00p.m. I called the midwives to tell them things were progressing and definitely not petering out! They said they'd come whenever I thought I needed them--I said, "Come!" I asked if I could get into the tub and they said "yes."

Around that time, Drew was back home and I got into the bath tub! The next three hours are a blur but looking back, I'd call that part "active labor." I was very insistent upon #1, not watching the clock and #2, not being checked repeatedly. I was so afraid of being discouraged by my progression!! From 2:00 to 5:00, I was practicing all of my coping techniques during contractions: focusing on a candle, singing, squeezing someone's hand, breathing--you name it, I tried it! The biggest help was having Drew sitting next to the tub, holding my hand. The midwives came and went, checking on me and checking the baby's heart rate, and telling me what a great job I was doing.

By 5:00p.m., now 13 hours since the first contraction, I noticed the light starting to change and asked for the time. I was amazed that three hours had gone by! When you're taking life one contraction at a time, time seems to go by faster!

From around 5:00p.m. to 8:00p.m., I continued to labor, almost exclusively in the tub. I just couldn't imagine getting out and had no desire to try anything else! That time span is another blur for the most part, but I know that during that time, I was doing the most moaning and low singing--and even told Drew, "I don't know how much longer I can do this." I also went to the bathroom several times, and lost my mucous plug in the toilet and soon after, my water broke in the tub in one big bubble! The midwives did see some meconium in the amniotic fluid but said a little bit was normal. I seem to remember being nauseated during this time, too, so that was probably the peak of transition. I'd say this time frame was active labor and transition.

It was also during this period that I had incredible back pain and pain in my backside, on the right side. If it had been closer to the 8:00 mark, I'd say that was the "urge to push" and I didn't realize it. I just thought it was part of labor pain. It was intense and excruciating, but I got through it somehow. Drew told me later that, during this phase, he urged the midwives to check me because he thought I might be ready to push, but they reminded him that I didn't want to be checked so he relented.

Finally at 8:00p.m., I was checked for the first time in my pregnancy...and I was fully dilated and fully effaced! I was so relieved that I got a second wind!!

From 8:00p.m. to 10:00p.m., I went back and forth to the tub and the bed, trying to push. There was more and more meconium leaking and then the baby's heart rate started speeding up. He wasn't lacking oxygen--he wanted OUT!

At 10:00p.m., the midwives decided that with the presence of meconium and the baby's increased heart rate, we were better off going to the hospital. They probably talked about it to Drew and my mom, but all I remember was them telling me they knew I was disappointed, but that it was for the best. I was SO ready to get that baby out, I just said, "Get my robe and slippers."

So Wendi, Drew, myself and my dad piled into my dad's car and headed for the nearest hospital. Wendi talked to the nurses on duty, telling them what was happening and they called the doctor in to meet us there. I was in excruciating pain and the contractions gave me absolutely no break in between, so I was miserable--but also "in the zone." I do remember my dad passing the hospital and having to turn around--and I was so focused that I couldn't say anything.

My mom calls him an angel, the guy that was waiting on the hospital curb with a wheelchair. I'm sure we looked like something out of a movie, me being whisked upstairs to the maternity floor with wet hair, wearing a robe...and all these people rushing behind me.

Turns out I was the only woman in labor that night, so all the nurses met us in the room and prepped me. The only thing I remember clearly was one of the nurses (Jackie, who ended up being wonderful) saying she was going to attach some kind of monitor to the baby's head and I said, "Oh, no, you're not!" I think the midwives explained to her that I didn't want any extra interventions. I'm glad they were there for this part. The doctor came rushing in at about 10:15p.m., yelling to me, "You're going to push this baby out or we're going in for a C-section!" He was a jerk, FYI, but all I needed to hear was "C-section" and I knew I was going to push like my life depended on it!

Dr. Sun was debriefed on what was going on and got suited up. I know he pretty much immediately did an episiotomy, plus he tried a vacuum, which ended up slipping off. Um...OUCH. I seem to remember that the baby was born in about four pushes, and I really did push harder than even I knew I was capable of.

There was a pediatric specialist waiting to check the baby, because of the meconium. I remember the baby coming out and how relieved I was and I have only one other memory of (what turned out to be a) him until an hour later. But Drew says he was given to the specialist and taken away to be checked out immediately. Drew also remembers how ugly the baby's face was when it/he came out, and he thought, "That better be a boy or God is just cruel." heehee

Andrew IV was born on Saturday, November 26th at 10:27p.m. weighing 8 lbs. 4 oz. and measuring 20" long with dark hair and dark blue eyes.

I don't remember being told "It's a boy." After all the waiting, anticipation and speculation, I was robbed of the moment that I had so been looking forward to. And, of course, Drew wasn't able to catch the baby or cut the cord. He remembers being concerned for me because there was so much blood.

What I do remember is Dr. Sun saying I was badly torn on the right side, where I'd felt all that pain before. He tried to stitch me up and it was even more excruciating than labor and I remember saying, "I just gave birth and now you're going to do THAT?!" With no anesthesia, mind you. I guess I was bleeding too much to take the time. It turned out that I had a fourth degree tear in my vaginal wall (undoubtedly where Andrew's head had been resting for so long) and had to go to surgery for him to repair it.

So I was prepped for surgery and remember passing by Andrew (he'd come back from being checked, he was fine, with Apgars of 7 and 9), laying in an isolette and breathing oxygen, and one of the midwives lifted him up and waved his arm as I passed. I remember the nurse saying something like, "He really needs to lay flat," or something to that effect, and I thought, "Boy, I bet the nurses are annoyed by all of this." That was the only time I saw him until I returned from surgery.

I was taken down the hall to an O.R., all the while saying, "I can't believe I had a boy!" I was elated and exhausted. I got a spinal shot and it took Dr. Sun a good half an hour to stitch me up. In the meantime, the anesthesiologist enjoyed berating me about the danger of home births and I remember holding my own and not backing down. The same nurse who I yelled at about not wanting the head thingy was nearby and whispered, "Don't pay any attention to him." That was probably my first moment of mom-to-mom bonding!

During the stitching up, Dr. Sun also commented, "This is the worst tear I've seen all year." It was November 26th!! What doctor says that????? He later added, "Well, at least it will be that much easier next time." Thaaaaaanks.

So I was wheeled back from surgery to find Andrew all wrapped up and in Drew's arms. My mom was there, too. I finally got to hold MY SON and, boy, was I in love!! I think that's when I was filled in on his Apgars, weight, etc. I remember looking him over and noticing that his fingernails were yellow and calling them "Vampire fingernails." An odd thing to notice first, huh?

I went to recovery after a while and talked to the midwives some, about what had happened. It was very surreal to have landed myself in the hospital.

The first day or so, Drew was sick with a terrible cold and Andrew was cold, too. Drew was holding him skin to skin but it wasn't enough, so he was put under heat lamps. Beyond that, he was perfect. We had a minor glitch with nursing because I had it in my head that he should be positioned a certain way, so he'd get frustrated and Drew would have to take him to calm him down, then hand him back. Finally, I realized he wanted to have his arms crossed over his chest and that was the ticket--he was a champion breast feeder for (brace yourself) almost three years after that.

We spent that Saturday night, all day Sunday and up until about 3:00p.m. Monday in the hospital. Our church was literally steps away, so after my sister and brother-in-law came to bring me my things and visit Andrew Sunday morning, we asked them to stop by church to let our home group know that Andrew had arrived. They came by after church, along with the pastor and his wife, the youth pastor and his wife and a handful of others. Hello!!! My brother and his wife visited, along with Drew's mom, who was heading back home immediately after she left the hospital. We were so glad she got to meet him! Drew's sister and her family, and Drew's uncle, all came by Sunday night to meet him.

Some other memories...

~ I vividly remember watching the sun come up both mornings I was in the hospital, as I sat up nursing Andrew in bed. I was so happy and content.

~ I remember signing a form to refuse a hearing test for Andrew, and as someone walked out and the door slammed shut, he jumped and the other nurse commented, "Well, there's his hearing test." HA!

~ The pediatrician that came to check him before we left declared him "robust." And he has been ever since!

~ The nurse that discharged us lectured Drew about being gentle to me when we "resumed intimacy." Repeatedly.

~ Just before we left the hospital, Drew and the nurse disappeared to pull the car around, check the car seat, etc. and it was the first time I was alone with Andrew. We sat in a rocker and I sung "Jesus Loves Me" to him and cried and cried.

And that's about it! He was perfect as far as breastfeeding and sleeping, and never had any issues. His umbilical cord stump fell off quickly, at only about four days old. I think my milk came in at about five days. He was never fussy, he didn't have colic or digestion problems--nothin'. He pooped fairly infrequently, which turned out to just be "him," and actually made life a lot easier! We never paced the halls at night with him. In fact, I learned how to nurse laying down pretty quickly and everyone slept wonderfully as a result. He was a happy, content baby and people so frequently commented about how "alert" he was that we started calling him "Our Little Lert." As in, he was a lert. heehee.

As hard as it was to go past my due date, the fact that he was so healthy made it totally worth it. With November being jam-packed with birthdays in our family, we were relieved that he got his own unique day. This year, his birthday falls on Thanksgiving!

Part of why I wanted to post this was so I could post on what I'll do again, and what I'll do differently, for Ethan's birth. So far, the main difference has been seeing a doctor instead of midwives, and planning a hospital birth. I'll go into the rest later! :)

Our main theory is...it can't go any worse!

35 weeks and lots to do!

There could be anywhere from two to SEVEN more of these week updates--yikes!! I am definitely reminding myself that I could go full term, or full term plus as much as 14 days, so as early as April 23 and as late as May 20!

I realize every pregnancy and every baby are different, but it may be helpful to note that Andrew was born 9 months almost to the day that he was conceived. He was conceived right around February 27, due November 20 and was born November 26, almost 9 calendar months to the day that he was conceived.

So, I looked back at my blog from when we were "trying," and I almost certainly ovulated on August 19. My doctor's due date is May 6 (which is 9 calendar months from my last period, incidentally), whereas my calculation was May 13 (266 days from conception). The 19th would be right at 13 days overdue and I doubt they'd let me go that long. I just know that I'm going to try my hardest not to get overly-antsy as May progresses.

Well, I'm VERY excited about the next several days!

THURSDAY: My OB appointment. I haven't seen her in a month cuz she was at a birth the last time I went and I have several questions and am eager to hear how we're growing. I haven't gained an ounce according to my scale and I don't even know what my chart says as far as total weight gain--and I'm wondering how he's growing, too.

FRIDAY: I hope to get my pedicure, plus there's my friend's birthday party (a great distraction), which includes dinner! YUM!

SATURDAY: My baby shower!! Then Mom and I are going to do a little shopping, mostly for the items for my hospital bag. This one is new to me because Andrew's birth was an emergency hospital transfer, so I had to rely on my sister-in-law to bring me what I needed. Yikes! This time, I will be prepared!

SUNDAY: My maternity photo shoot! There's two reasons why I'm super-excited about it: #1, it's FREE! My college roommate's sister is "making a go" of her photography business and has agreed to do the shoot if I'll advertise for her and if she can use the images to promote her business. #2, it's my friend's sister, whom I've met several times, so I'll be more comfortable. Drew wants to do some..."adventurous"...shots, so it'll be nice if I'm relaxed! Andrew and Drew are coming along so we can do some big brother and family shots--yeah!

My to-dos:
1. Group B strep test, which will happen tomorrow at my doc appoint.
2. pack the hospital bag, which we're doing on Saturday. I wanted to kind of do it all at once, probably at Wal-Mart. I found my cute, black and pink polka dot bag, so that's what I'm using--I just have to fill it!!

I found a great list on
TheBump.com

How am I feeling, you ask? Weeellll, I always say "I can't complain" because I know many women who deal with complications and all manner of discomfort at this phase, and I'm complication-free and really have no major issues, so...I'm thankful! My only "complaint" is the he feels so huge and so cramped, so being upright is not my favorite, but unfortunately, life requires a lot of it! Sleeping is funny...I sleep well overall, but wake up probably ten times/night to switch sides and readjust my pillows because of hip pain. Beyond that, the weird jabs and rolls up high and down low can be painful or strange, but at least I know he's happy and well!!

So really, I can't complain! Two more weeks until I'm full term--I'll feel a lot better then...except that Drew's going out of town, so actually, I'll feel better at 38 weeks!

Baby is now the size of a honeydew!

From now on, baby's growth is mostly in the plumping up department -- though he won't get much longer, he'll put on a pound or more of baby fat before birth. (He's about 15 percent right now and will be about 30 percent by full-term.) His hearing is totally developed (tip: baby responds best to higher pitches), and if he really is a "he," his testes have probably completed their descent.