The End

Or I guess I should probably say "The Beginning." This birth story has been a little harder to write and I don't know for sure why. It seems like every time I get ready to do it I avoid it. Maybe it's because it all happened so fast, so different, and so well, fast.

I was released from the hospital on Wednesday afternoon after two full days of bed rest. My 24hr urine came back + for protein and my pressures remained moderate to high. I was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia, but allowed to go home and continue my bedrest there. I was thrilled. The King and I actually laughed because I told him that I thought it was just too hard to be in the hospital when you're sick. I guess what I meant was it didn't really feel like a break from everyday life. My ear got better at the pace of a snail race and I developed a sinus infection as well. The two days I was there were spent laying in bed praying for sleep which was very intermittent. It was also difficult to be away from the girls at such at transitional point in our lives.

Once home I pretty much resumed a normal pace. The day after I was released I reported back for my biophysical profile. I had the weekend off and we just hung out. Sunday was a long day. I didn't feel well at all and I was really beginning to wonder how this was all going to end. The longer I was sick the more anxious I became about labor and delivery. I've mentioned it before, but anxiety about the end was a running theme with this pregnancy.

First thing Monday morning I had an OB appointment. I really had no idea what to expect. I rushed around to get ready, take the girls to my Mom's house, and make it to the appointment on time. That morning my urine in the office was +2 for protein and my blood pressure was high. He checked my cervix and I was 1-2cm dialated and 50% effaced. He told me to hold tight and left the room for a few minutes. When he came back he had paperwork and told me I would be induced the very next morning. On top of that I still had to go back to the hospital that afternoon for another biophysical profile. Even though I knew this was all a possibility I felt shocked.

I went straight to my Mom's house to get the girls and call the King. He decided to come home and just start his week off so that we could get everything in order. My Mom offered to keep all of the girls on Monday night so that we could be at the hospital by 5:45am. We spent the rest of the day getting things ready. The girls were so excited. It was nice to be able to tell them what was going on.

That night the King and I went shopping to get a few last minute things and to dinner. It was nice to have some quiet time and I was feeling pretty nervous. Later I finished packing our bags, charging batteries, and cleaning up the house. Surprisingly I slept well and didn't have any trouble getting up at 4:30. Something changed about my mindset that morning and I was more determined. I was still anxious but I guess I just focused on the fact that he was coming and very soon.

Once at the hospital things moved faster than I had anticipated. I was admitted right away, an IV was started, and my doctor was there by 7am. I was still dialated 1-2cm and 50% effaced. He broke my water and things got to rocking and rolling. I knew I wanted an epidural and he said I could have one right away but there were some bumps in the road. Apparantly due to the pre-e I had to have special blood work done in order to get the epicural. The blood was drawn and it was approximately 10 am when I finally got it. It took two tries. The first time the catheter was put in my spine and the "windows" were all closed causing a block. No pain relief. The second time was the charm and I started to feel a little bit of relief. It was very short lived though. After about 10 minutes it was clear the epi wasn't working. My nurses were great and got Dr. right back up there. He explained that sometimes it's hard to catch up with the contractions and you need more medicine. He gave me some and finally things were okay.

Feeling better I tried to quietly rest. I could feel the pressure of the contractions and I silently waited for more significant pressure. By noon I knew it was time. Without saying much I pressed the nurse call button and told them I felt like pushing. They were very responsive, it was the same nurse that delivered Bradlynn without a Dr in the room, and turned on the baby warmer. The Dr. was called and I was determined to be complete. Things felt surreal at that point. I could hear casual conversations going on around me but couldn't focus. I remember the nurse telling me to pretend to blow out candles and oddly that helped. The second the Dr said I could push I did. The baby came right down. Another push and he was crowning. Apparently the cord was tight against his shoulder and I had to pause for a painful moment. Then one last push delivered my sweet baby boy. He was born at 12:17 pm weighing 6#6ozs and 18 1/4" long. He was placed on my chest right away and I can't describe the emotions.

Once put in the warmer he proved his lungs were healthy by wailing away. His apgar scores were 8/8. I felt amazing. Such relief. It was over. He was healthy. I was alive. We stayed in the hospital that night and he of course roomed in with me. The next day I requested to go home and we've been here ever since. The girls LOVE him. I think Chiggie said it best when she said, "Mom, we've done this so many times now and it just never gets old." No it doesn't.

Home

Just Like That

Simple perfection. You are here! And right now that is absolutely all that matters!

Still Waiting

How can you want two very different things at the same time. On one hand, this pregnancy has gone by so smoothly, up until the end. Until I got sick I really had very little to complain about. Pregnancy wise I still feel the same way. I know the Pre-e is new because I just haven't felt sick. On the other hand we're very near the end and I'm just so ready for him to be here safe and sound. It's hard to enjoy the last few days when you really don't feel that great and you know you're not going to get better until the baby comes. I guess all good things really must come to an end. Here's to a new beginning I suppose.

Waiting

That's what we're doing, just waiting. It's amazing how anxious you get in the end. We are completely ready. I can't think of anything else he could possibly need. I really feel like I was doing so good until I got sick and then ended up in the hospital with nothing else to think about. Meanwhile listening to the cries of new babies being born. No matter how you look at it, we're so close now. How can a week or so feel so long? I have an appointment on Monday and I have no idea what will happen. It depends on so many factors. We'll just have to wait and see.

Home Sweet Home

I was so busy celebrating yesterday, of course laying on my left side sipping water ;), that I never got the chance to update. I was released just before lunch time with several regulations. Of course I am supposed to be on bed rest with bathroom privileges. Which begs the question, what in the heck do the poor people w/ out bathroom privileges do? Anyway, I also have to report back this afternoon for another nst and biophysical profile. This part doesn't thrill me because it complicates things. I've made some arrangements and Chiggie is just going to come along. She's never seen an ultrasound before so she's pretty excited.

So, for now we're definitely still playing the waiting game. I keep reassuring myself that this can't go on much longer. I have a week and a half until my due date, that's what is so bizarre. Come on baby we want to see you!

Hopeful

I am up early this morning waiting. I won't know the results of the testing for a bit but I am hopeful. I am far enough along in this pregnancy that the baby will be absolutely fine if he's forced out but that's not what I want. I'm hoping to just go into labor on my own very soon. The odds of that seem very unlikely spending my time laying in a hospital bed. I miss the girls terribly and this is not how I wanted our last few days as a family of 6 to go. I'm hoping to get a few days to make up for that.

I obviously have some kind of a virus because despite the fact that I am taking an antibiotic I am becoming a little more congested everyday. I have a cough, but it's not bad. The congestion mostly effects my head/ear. I think that's what is making this healing process seem so slow. I'll be sure to ask my doctor this morning if that seems normal. For now I wait.

Changes

Things can change on a dime, that's for sure. Here I sit in the hospital on bed rest. It all started with that darn ear infection. I'm just sure of that. I made it until Sunday before I cracked. When I cracked, it got ugly. I decided around 11:30pm that I had no choice but to go to the ER. I cannot fully describe how awful this sounded. The drive, the wait, the exposure, the fact that the King had to stay with the sleeping girls..... Yuck, but in the end pain won and I went. It was actually a much worse experience than I ever could have imagined on my own. The place was packed, of course, so I took a number. It would've been different had I not felt like someone was shoving an ice pick in my ear. The entire left side of my face was throbbing as well.

I'm not entirely sure how, but I managed to wait for a couple of hours until finally it was my turn to be seen. Ironically once back in the examining room it only took 10 minutes to be diagnosed and receive my first round of antibiotics. I drove home and was back on the couch by 2:30am still feeling horrible. I had an OB appointment at 11, and I got the girls ready and dropped them off at my Mom's. I was feeling dizzy, nauseated, and just plain sick.

I had no wait time what so ever at the Dr.'s office. I told him about the ear and how I was feeling. He checked my BP and it was 140/100. He let me rest a minute, checked again with the same result. I was then told not to dilly dally and to head straight over to the hospital to be admitted. I made a few phone calls and started the admissions process. Once here my BP stabilized and baby and I passed all of our tests. We had another ultrasound which he slept through, but it was good to see his heart beating away and his belly contracting with breathing motions.

Unfortunately when all my labs came back the news wasn't great. I am spilling protein over into my urine as well. When I was at the Dr. yesterday he checked my cervix and I am high and fully closed making me not favorable for induction right now. So we wait. Again, things could change on a dime. I'm doing a 24hr urine catch and those results will determine our future. The King is with the girls and they are confused but doing very well. My Mom kept them yesterday so that he could be with me through the testing process. A friend kept them this morning so that he could bring me some things from home. I took a shower and that perked me up a bit.

I wish I could say my ear wasn't hurting, but this ache is stubborn and hanging in there which has me frustrated. I'm trying to rest, but it's weird. The hardest part is the unknown, but that's just life I suppose, it can change on a dime!

Horse Shoes and Hand Grenades

I really thought I was close to having the baby last night. As the title implies, no cigar. I started having mild contractions around 11:30 pm and they continued steadily almost all night long. They never picked up in intensity but of course that didn't keep me from hoping they would. It speaks volumes that I was super excited to ask for an IV antibiotic. Yeah, my ears are killing me still. Tomorrow is my appointment and I am so glad relief is in sight.

Good Grief

I haven't been sick this pregnancy very much at all. So I was pretty surprised when I woke up this morning and my ear hurt. I decided to give it some time. I have suffered ear infections my whole life so I know when I have one. I was pretty busy all day, but I took some pain relievers and really had a good day. I went grocery shopping, did a bunch of laundry, and took some lunch to my Mom who had a medical procedure done yesterday. Now tonight I am 100% sure my ear is infected. It took forever for the pain drops I have to kick in and up until they did I was contemplating a trip to the E.R. I have an appointment Monday, so I hope I can make it until then. I really want this cleared up before I deliver.

While I'm Waiting

Preparing for a baby is fun, there is no doubt about that. I have entertained myself by preparing the room and organizing his things. It helps pass the time and I think it prepares the girls as well. It makes something so hard to understand seem very real. Here's just a few pictures of what we've been up to.

37 Weeks Full Term!

Wooo Hoooo and the countdown officially begins. Too bad I have a toothache that is driving me cuh-razy. Stupid Tylenol. I am using numbing medication but I think I've built up a tolerance or something because it's not helping anymore. There really isn't anything I can do because it's not infected, no fever or anything. As soon as the baby comes I can make an appointment and get things fixed. It's hurt on and off for a bit so I'm hoping the "off" comes really soon.

I am surprisingly still pretty darn comfortable pregnancy wise. I sleep just fine at night when the girls are feeling well. Sure I get up to go to the bathroom, but nothing new there. At night I usually have bothersome BH contractions and I often hope they're doing at least a little something. I try to keep myself busy so I don't fall into the constant false labor trap. Anyway you look at it this baby is coming very soon.

The Shower

Today, after church, was my baby shower and we all had a fabulous time. The girls stylishly pose with their newly acquired sunglasses.
Tea and I just after enjoying a wonderful lunch.


I got so many wonderful gifts it was unbelievable.

I loved this handmade blanket, cap, and booties.

We played several great games including, who's that baby?

Everyone who attended signed this piggy bank. What a great idea!

My Mom and I.

The beautiful floral arrangement my Aunt sent.

The cake was both gorgeous and delicious!

Growing

I might as well "keep it real" so this is me now:

Packing

In the past, when it comes to pregnancy, I have always made the mistake of procrastinating. This time instead of just looking at my actual due date I'm trying to just prepare no matter what. So, on that note, when I left my appointment yesterday I went to the store and picked up some things I'll need for my hospital stay. I got myself a new pair of comfy pj's, some shower samples, slippers, camera batteries, etc. I also got the King a few things as well. Now this weekend we can pack our bag and I'll feel better knowing we're ready.

I don't know why, but when it comes to this impending birth I have A LOT of anxiety. I have tried just about everything to relax but not much works. I don't know exactly what I am afraid of, just that I am. I have not experienced this in the past which is part of what makes it so weird. I feel the worst at night and I find myself actually praying that I will not go into labor anytime soon. I'm just not mentally ready. Of course right now that makes sense because I have a few weeks until the due date, but that isn't the real reason anyway. I'm not afraid of having him here at all, it's the actual birth that has me all freaked out. I must add, I have no reason to believe everything won't go smoothly. I've had epidurals successfully in the past as well, so no high expectations either. Who knows, I'm sure it's normal, but it is bothering me. Hopefully I will read this in a few weeks and laugh about how smoothly it really went and how I had nothing to worry about. I hope.

Quick Appointment

Today I had my 36/37 week appointment and it was quick and to the point. I had my group b strep test, but not sure of the results yet. His heart rate was 152 again for like the 4 or 5th time in a row. I think all of my kids have had that heart rate it's crazy. I haven't gained any more weight, I don't think I will at this point. I'm measuring right on too, so that's always good. I've been thinking about the baby almost constantly lately. It's not that I'm uncomfortable being pregnant just eager to meet him I suppose. I'm getting my hair done tomorrow, so I'll post another belly shot.

Racing the Clock

Just checking in to say I am on track to have EVERYTHING done by Sunday! It has taken every little and I do mean little, bit of strength I have, but we're really getting there. We have done soooo much de-cluttering over the last couple of weeks and I feel like I can breathe again. I hate clutter, but with 6 people living here it happens, often. I can't wait to just sit back and feel ready. I'll probably run around like crazy just to go over due.

36 Weeks

1 week until I am considered term. So close really. Every time I think about what is about to happen I get major butterflies in my stomach. Knowing what to anticipate can go both ways. On one hand I have labored and delivered successfully 4 times. Don't get me wrong it hurt, bad, but in the end all was well. I know that and that helps. On the other hand I have no desire to labor again. Ugh. Hopefully it will be quick, but Boo wasn't so I know there's no guarantees just because this is my 5th baby.

I am very excited to meet him. I don't think I have any real expectations. The girls have all looked pretty different at birth so I haven't any idea what to expect there either. This is my busy week. By Sunday I'm hoping to be completely baby ready. Yay!

Hiccup

That about sums things up these days. I think all this little guy does is hiccup. My whole belly shakes when he does and if it's at night then it has the power to wake me up. If my bladder is full it's even worse and I have to run to the nearest restroom. I'm not complaining it's just a little different. All of my kids have hiccuped in utero just not quite this often. All of the girls have felt it from the outside and will even ask if they see my belly move, "does he have more hiccups?"


My baby shower, being given by church friends, is a week from today. I'm excited to get together with other women and celebrate. The day after I will be 37 weeks and officially term. Not that I expect to have him right away. It still feels good to know I'm that close to the safe zone. The weather is driving me crazy in trying to plan. I have no idea what to pack for the girls at my moms. One day it's warm and the next it's snowing. I'm thinking we'll just go with pants and long sleeve shirts. Next weekend I'm going to pack my bag as well. Just in case. Because you know, eventually he's gonna have to come out.

35 Weeks

I can't even believe I just typed that. Even though I am sooo very ready to have him here, it still seems unreal to be so close. I still have to say that I think this has been my easiest pregnancy. I haven't had a lot to complain about. Now though, that's changing just a bit. At night I have horrible restless legs. This drives me insane. Literally it makes me feel crazy. I've tried eating bananas and all of that with very little relief. I had this with Midge and it went away after delivery so I hope for the same this time.

I'm also experiencing many of the negative consequences of just being huge. My legs and feet hurt every night. Getting up and down is hard so I try to stay up as much as possible when the kids are up. I can't just sit down and hop I like I could before. I definitely waddle after extended periods of walking. I feel like he is very low. I have bh contractions almost every night, but I completely ignore them. I refuse to let them make me crazy too. With my first couple of pregnancies I timed any and all contractions, oh the things we learn. When the girls let me I still sleep just fine at night once I fall asleep. I wake up tired, but I did that before so not a real change.

I don't have another appointment until a week from tomorrow. My doctor is out of the office and I really didn't feel the need to schedule with someone else. I will going once a week from here on out. Nothing ever really happens but it does give me dates to look forward to. I promise I will post a belly picture and room pic's very soon!