Birth Story

I went in for our 39 week appt on Tuesday the 20th and was still only 1cm dilated, but was 90% effaced! Dr. said we could wait until 40 weeks then discuss an induction or she could schedule one for as soon as L&D could take me. I opted for the later! She came back into the room and informed me that I could just go over right then because they were bored. We thought it might be better if we decline that one because we were still trying to get moved into our new house. We set the induction for Friday May 23, 2008 and I left her office with her saying, “I’ll see you on Friday morning unless I see you before!”
That night we had friends over for dinner, we’d moved 95% of our things over from the old house that day. Everyone said goodbye after some Chineese take-out around 1145. Earlier in the day I had lost my mucous plug and had some bloody show so I figured Friday would be cuttin git close…well I was on my way in to go to the bathroom and get ready for bed and I felt a little gush. Very little. More than a “trickle” though. I went in to go potty and had another little gush, then a minute later another one. I hollered at Cory and told him I thought my water had broke. When I finished I called L&D and they told me to pack a bag and head in just to be sure. So I did. Cory was rushing around and couldn’t figure out why I was so calm! LOL! We’d managed to role reverse for the time being I guess ;o)
We got to L&D around 1230 or so and the nurse tested the fluid to see if it was amniotic fluid or not. She did about 8 tests and they were all negative but I KNEW I was NOT peeing myself THAT much! LOL! Finally she said, “Let me go get a new package of these, maybe they’re bad or something.” She came back and tested and the strip turned SO bright blue (means it WAS amniotic fluid). So they admitted me! I was 90% effaced and only 1.5 cm dilated. I labored through the night having contractions every 2 to 3 minutes. By 530am I’d had my second bag of water broken (didn’t even know there was more than one…) and was dilated to 3.5cm and decided it was time for an epidural because contractions were getting stronger and closer together. Had the epi by 615, rolled from side to side and drifted in and out of sleep until I was a full 10am and started pushing at 330pm. I pushed for and hour and a half and in the end they had to use the suction cup thing on her twice to help her out. She was born, with a FULL head of BLACK hair at 517pm! She weighed 8lbs. 1.8oz. and was 22.5” long. Her apgars were 8/9.
Turns out she was stuck sideways so most of the pushing I was doing wasn’t even really helping. She was a little bigger than anyone thought. Because they had to pump up the vaccum so much to do any good, Ellie was born with a sub dural hematoma and it was so big that it filled with fluid. Her pediatrician assured us that the "bruise" would go away and the fluid would turn into calcium and absorb back into her system within the first month or so. Otherwise a very healthy girl! The labor caused my blood pressure to go up (I’d had NO problems with this during pregnancy) so I was put on Magnesium for 24 hours and let me tell ya, NOT FUN! Recovery was slow at first because I was stuck in bed the entire time I was in the hospital. We came home at 300pm on Friday the 23rd and were welcomed with lots of decorations and balloons and a house that was all unpacked and put together so we actually got to come HOME! :o)
Ellie developed a little jaundice due to her hematoma absorbing back into her system so quickly, but after a few days of mild sunbathing it cleared up! At her 2 weeks checkup she was back up to her birth weight (she dropped to 7lbs. 9oz.) and was doing great! I went in for a blood pressure check the next day and although it wasn't back down to it's normal level, it was a lot better than while I was in the hospital. Dr. Eberhardt said she could live with it at 130/86 for now! So...I have Pregnancy-induced Hyper Tension and it's expected to go away with the hormones (could take up to 3 months).
We’re adjusting very well to all the changes…all 3 of us! Ellie is a VERY good baby and although I have nothing to compare it to, I feel like life could be A LOT more difficult than she’s making it!! She sleeps anywhere from 4-6 hours at a time during the night so I’ve been able to actually catch up on lost sleep! Cory is in LOVE with his baby girl, as am I, and we are enjoying every single second of parenthood! I feel like life couldn't get much better than this!
Feel free to email us anytime and I’ll post pictures as soon as I find our camera cables!

Ellie's 1 month checkup: June 27, 2008

38 weeks + a new house!

I'm a little slow this week, but here is our latest update. As of Tuesday I was still 1 cm dilated but had increased to 80% effaced! Ellie also dropped again and was at -1 station! Dr. guessed her to be about 7lbs. LOL! I was hoping for a little smaller, but at least we know she's a healthy girl! ;o) I really can't ask for more! I weighed 153 and my blood pressure and swelling (or lack there of) was all great!
...(this may be an 'overshare' so consider yourselves warned!)...
Last night I lost (possibly only part of) my mucus plug! It really doesn't mean too much at this point as there was no blood and/or it wasn't followed by any gushing of fluid. I called L&D last night just to make sure. She said she was sorry she couldn't give me better news! LOL! I think she could tell by my voice that I am ready to be DONE! So ... I just have to watch for more "pieces" of the plug accompanied by "bloody show" (TMI: bloody-ish snot ball ... SORRY!) or just wait until my water breaks ... or of course until none of those things happen and I get sent in to be induced.
I'm just waiting.
Cory's stressing trying to get the new house in order so we can be at least most of the way moved in by the time Ellie arrives.
>>Not sure if I mentioned this before, or if everyone is aware ... We bought Mom and Ben's house and are in the process of fixing a few things and moving in!<<
We're not expecting to be moved in, unpacked and settled in right away, just moved in enough to be able to function with Ellie! We (and by we, of course, I mean poor Cory), with the help of Eilin and Rand were able to spray texture on the entire main floor on Monday ... Tuesday sprayed primer ... and Wednesday started my crazy painting scheme! We (I did actually get to help paint!!!) finished up all the painting yesterday and Riley and Jordan laid the tile for our entry way last night! What life savers ... SERIOUSLY! We have the greatest friends and family! We had SO many people show up on Wednesday to help paint we couldn't really even use everyone, plus there were people calling every 20 minutes seeing if we needed them to come help! It's so heart-warming! Today, Johnny is laying carpet for us and this evening Cory and/or Riley will be finishing up the tile! I'm hoping that tomorrow can be the day to do trim and chair railing and MAYBE start moving some things over tomorrow afternoon/evening and Sunday! I'm not holding my breath though, as Cory is the one who has to run the show and during all of this is working nights. He has to sleep too ;o). I'll keep you all posted on this and will post pictures as soon as I can!

39 week check up: May 20, 2008

37 weeks and counting...

Well, I am happy to report that a crying session was NOT needed at this appt.! There was some definite progress!! I tested negative for Group B Strep and I am 1 cm dilated and 70% effaced! If you ask me, that is good progress for one week! I understand, however, that it could stay like this until my due date (My poor sister walked around at like 4 cm and 80% for 3 weeks or something crazy like that!) but I am certainly hopeful! Dr. said Ellie's head was really low, so I imagine that is a good thing as well! I'm up to 151 now. Exactly 25 lbs. gained (and yes, she moved the bottom thing on the scale to '150' before I ever even got on...). It seems to bother me less and less as time goes by! Everything else was great too! We measured at 35 weeks (35 cm from my pubic bone to wherever the other point is somewhere near the bottom of my breast bone) and she was fine with that! Ellie's heart rate and my blood pressure were perfect and I was told my lack of serious swelling was awesome! I asked what the chances were that she'd really go all the way to the 25th and Dr. said "*giggle* You're making progress and that is good!" So I think there's still a pretty good chance that she'll cook until the 25th ... but I don't think it's out of the realm of possibilities that she could come a little early! I'm okay with either! I figure I can handle (at most) 3 more weeks of this! I'm still not comfortable ... ever, but it's definitely manageable! I truly believe things could be a lot worse! I'm very, very, very thankful for how easy things have been for me this go 'round!! :o)

38 week check up: May 13, 2008

36 week ... exam

Okay ... well our 36 week appt. went good! I lost 1 lb. so I'm weighing in at 148. My blood pressure was fine, as was the measurement of my "Ellie Belly!" I had the Group B Strep test done, and I'm assuming I'll find out the results at my next appt. No big deal. I also had an exam and though I'm not dilated yet she confirmed my suspicions on Ellie "dropping" and said that my cervix is definitely starting to thin. Not sure that means anything quite yet, but I guess if nothing else, it's a little bit of progress! Just waiting ... impatiently! My appts. are now weekly until delivery! Closer and closer... :o)

37 week check up: May 6, 2008

Almost There ...

Our 34 week appt. was perfect! Everything is still right on track and the Dr. guessed that Miss Ellie is about 5 lbs. now! I was supposed to start having appts. weekly now but since everything has been so "normal" I don't go in for 2 weeks. I'll have my 36 week check up, then start going weekly! I weighted 149 ... so for sure in 2 weeks I'll be up to, and probably past, the 150 mark! *sigh* Thank God for healthy babies ;o) Ellie has officially run out of room to move. She'll continue to grow no matter how comfortable is for me, but stretching her little legs is out of the question! I have a little butt in my ribs making it feel like I've been beaten and bruised the entire right side of my ribcage. There's also some feet in my side and when I get kicked or she stretches as far as she can, it feels like I just sprinted 20 miles and have a side ache. After 36 weeks Ellie will be considered "Full Term" so whenever I go into labor after that is A-OK! Maybe at my exam on the 29th there will be some progress and I won't actually have to wait until May 25th!!! Sooooo, that's it for now. Another update in 2 weeks!! :o)

36 week checkup / Exam and Group B Strep test: April 29, 2008

An Emotional Girl

You know that country song, "Emotional Girl" by Teri Clark...? "...I'm an emotional girl, I can't help myself. Sometimes I laugh, sometimes I cry, sometimes I do both and I don't know why..." Yeah, that's me these days! I've decided that hormones really suck! I had 3 major breakdowns within 2 hours the other night. It all started with me trying to find something to wear to go to dinner. Nothing fancy, i just wanted to throw on a decent tee shirt and my jeans (I was in my jammies, they're waaay more comfortable than real clothes) and go. No such luck. Every shirt I have fits no further than my bellybutton. Not attractive, even with the layered look. I have very nice maternity shirts, but they require some thought and planning to wear. They're more dressy than I was needing at that time. Anyway, yesterday I had to go buy new shirts. All is well for the time being. ;o) The other two breakdowns were really ridiculous and not worth sharing! LOL! Poor Cory! I figure if he can stick with me through this, he'll stick with me forever!!! This 3rd trimester is a lot more emotional than the first...and than I expected. I'm finally ready for this pregnancy to be over. I'm not sick of it, I still enjoy all her, not-so-little, movements and the hiccups are great. I love watching her reaction to music (She loves Michael Buble too!) oh, and heartburn has become my new best friend! I'm ready to meet her and I really miss being able to tie my shoes. I can see how eventually you're just flat out done! In about 3 weeks I'll be considered "full term" and although they won't stop labor from progressing at the point I'm at now, they'll be expecting it then! That's so amazing to me. The time, as it happens, seems to go by SO slow, but when you look at the whole big picture, it seems like it's flown by!
Anyway, I'm a slacker, so here's the update from my last appointment.
32 week check up: Everything, once again, was great! I weighed in at 147 *sigh*. Next time I go in they're going to have to start off by moving the big weight thing on the bottom directly to 150! ;o) Oh well! As long as I have a healthy baby! Ellie is still head down and this time the dr. said it's unlikely that she'll move from that position. Kind of cool! Her heart beat was strong as well as her movements and the dr. had a hard time keeping up with her to get a heart rate! Busy, busy, busy! Other than that we really didn't find out anything new. We have an appt. on Wednesday (April 2nd) to pre-register at Labor and Delivery so that when I go into labor, I don't have to stop at ER or anything first, I can just go straight up! Should save us a little time and brain power in the heat of the moment! I can't think of very many things that would be more annoying than trying to fill out my name, SSN and signature 3258745 times while working through contractions! :o)

34 week check up: April 15, 2008

30 weeks

First, I want to say that I got the results for that Glucose Test and I passed! No Gestational Diabetes for me!! I am, though, slightly anemic. Nothing too serious though. I've been instructed to take 325mg of Ferrous Sulfate once/day. I'm wondering if that's part of the reason I've been so tired lately...? I've been feeling good, just, like I said, tired. I'm off work for 2 weeks, then go back to work for 2 weeks, then I'm done for the summer! We have a lot going on right now, so I need the extra time...and energy...to get things together without losing my mind! We're purchasing my Mom and Ben's house and moving in dangerously close to my due date. So between packing, needing to "nest" and then getting settled, we have a lot on our plate. Cory's been SO great! He's picked up some slack on the house work since my energy and coordination have slightly dissipated. ;o) I don't even know what I would do without him! We're getting more and more excited to meet little Miss Ellie! I know it's still too early, but I really want to be done just so i can see her! Only 65 more days!!!

Our 30 week check was short and sweet. The dr. was over in the main hospital delivering a baby so the nurse did all the routine checks for us. Ellie's heart rate was 146, she said , "Perfect!" She discovered that sometime in the last 2 weeks Ellie has turned herself so she's head down! She'll probably flip flop again a time or two but for right now that's where she is! I was also informed that some of the crazy movements I've been feeling are not really the baby "stretching" but in fact Braxton Hicks Contractions. Not painful, thank God, they just feel like her head on one side and her butt on the other were poking out as far as they could at the same time. This is why I thought she was stretching. Usually, almost immediately, after I feel this I feel her get all wiggly and the nurse put it to me like this, "If your home was closing in around you wouldn't you get a little wiggly too?" :o) I laughed! It's true, I'd probably get a little squirmy. It's neat to know just one more thing that's going on in there! She's still moving around as busy as ever! It's quite obvious that she's running out of room though. Things are definitely becoming tighter and her movements are more and more obvious. I love every minute of it though, even if they are becoming increasingly uncomfortable. And...to close this post, I need to add that I now weigh in at 143. ;o)

32 week check up: March 28, 2008

28 weeks

Well, I'm a little late in posting this, but I wanted to make sure I get this up before my next appt. I had our 28 week check up and Glucose Test on Tuesday March 4. During the check up everything looked perfect! Most importantly, Ellie's heart beat was in the 150's and is measuring right where she should be! She's moving around like crazy and is getting stronger by the day! Some of her movements are becoming quite a bit stronger and sometimes uncomfortable. She's definitely an active little one! I learned in my weekly pregnancy/baby update that she is about 14-15 inches long and 2.5 lbs. now!
Next... I gained 7 lbs. in that 4 weeks since the last appt. I'm now up to 141.5! For a grand total of 16 lbs. *sigh*
As for the Glucose Test...Everything was normal there, I haven't developed Gestational Diabetes!!! For those of you who don't know what this test involves... when you go in, you have to drink about 4 oz. of a thick sugary liquid (either orange or lemon-lime) then wait an hour and get your blood drawn. It's just to make sure your body metabolizes sugar properly. Everyone says that the liquid is the most awful thing ever, but I really didn't think it was that bad. Just tasted like orange soda with no bubbles. I got a little bit of a sugar rush about 15 minutes after drinking it (oh by the way, you can't eat ANYTHING 2 hours before the test) but nothing too horrific! Like I said, everything with that ended up great. They did find, though, that I'm a little on the anemic side of "normal" (they test for this too) so I've been instructed to take 325mg of Ferrous Sulfate once/day. I feel fine, but maybe this explains the increase of sleep I've needed lately ;o)
My appts. are now every 2 weeks (AHHH!) so my updates will become more frequent!

30 week check up: March 18, 2008.

24 weeks

Our appointment on Friday went well! Nothing real exciting, or even to report really. I've gained a total of 8 lbs. (officially 134 lbs.) and my tummy measured right on for 24 weeks (24 inches from the top to the bottom)! We got to hear the heartbeat again, but only for a second. Ellie was so busy, as soon as the Dr. would find her heartbeat, Ellie would move and we'd have to find her again! Finally we gave up :o). Still very exciting for us though! I got kicked in the ribs for the first time last Tuesday (February 5th)!! It doesn't hurt yet, but it's definitely uncomfortable. My back hurts constantly these days so I got the "okay" for my Dr. to call upon a chiropractor for some help! I also got the "okay" to visit a massage therapist if that doesn't seem to do the trick! ;o) I think a massage sounds quite nice right about now! Other than than nothing new. Thank you for reading and hope you are all doing well!!

28 week check up/Glucose Test: March 4, 2008

What's Your Prediction?

I was given a website that predicts your labor and delivery! I figured it would be fun to test it out! All I had to do was answer a few questions and submit it and this is what it gave me...

Madame Zaritska's reading

Madame Zaritska, our resident clairvoyant, wants to help you prepare for the arrival of your child. Here she does her best to predict certain aspects of your labor and birth experience.

What she senses for you:
The day you deliver, outside will be blustery. Your baby will arrive in the evening.

After a labor lasting approximately 6 hours, your child, a girl, will be born. Your baby will weigh about 6 pounds, 4 ounces, and will be 20-1/2 inches long. This child will have green eyes and a lot of hair.

So... I suppose we'll see here in about 4 months whether or not Madame Zaritska is accurate in her reading! HAHAHAHAHA! I do have to say, though, that the prediction I made a couple months ago was quite similar! Just for the record, I'll fill you all in on mine. 6lbs. 8oz. 20 1/2 inches long and lots of dark hair. I don't even want to guess how long labor will be...I like the Madame's prediction, so I'll take her word! As for the weather, I don't care if it's crappy outside while I'm delivering...as long as it clears up by the time we go home! Anyway, you read it here first! :o)

22 weeks

Well, nothing new to report really.
I've finally "popped" though and it's noticeable to most everyone else! I had a minor meltdown late last week and it resulted in a trip to Tri Cities for some actual maternity jeans! I'd finally reached the point where my regular jeans just weren't cutting it anymore. I can still wear them , it's just that even unbuttoned and unzipped they're terribly uncomfortable and bending over is impossible! So I now live in one of my two pairs of "mama jeans"! I love them!
As I said before, we have Ellie's room all set up and ready for her arrival! Her bedding came on Wednesday of last week (January 16th) and the second I saw the UPS man I went running down the walk way to greet him! As soon as I got the box inside, I ripped it open and started crying! The set is more beautiful than it even looked in the picture! I took it all out of the bag and immediately put it on the bed! I took a few pictures, emailed them to Mom, took the bedding off, washed and dried it all then put it back on the bed!!! And now it really sits waiting...and as ready as it can get!
So I suppose that's all until our next appointment.
We're just over half way, so now the countdown REALLY begins!

Busy Girl

Our appointment yesterday went great! We had our ultrasound at 10:00 a.m. and then the 20 week check up immediately following. Everything looked wonderful with the baby! She's still a girl ;o) and we were able to locate 10 fingers, 10 toes and a chin that SCREAMS, "I look like Mommy!" Her heart rate was 150 bpm and she looked to be as happy as can be! I don't think it could have been any more perfect! My check up afterward followed suit...Dr. Eberhardt listened to Ellie's heart beat and said it sounded lovely, my blood pressure was normal (blah, blah, blah...) and I've finally gained all my weight back that I'd lost in the first 3 months! I was a little concerned because I've noticed recently that I haven't had much of an appetite and what little one I do have, isn't healthy. She said that there's no need to worry, everything looks great and for me just to do my best and that I'll catch up in no time.

I also want to share that Miss Ellie is quite a busy little lady already! I feel her move most of the day, every single day! It isn't just little flutters or spasms anymore either, she has full-on mastered the art of Tae Kwon Do in there, I'm pretty sure of it! Right around Christmas (maybe a little before) I'd started getting Cory to try and feel her moving but every time he'd try either she'd stop or he just couldn't feel her. I knew, though, that a lot of the kicks I usually felt were strong enough for someone other than me to feel, so I didn't give up! On New Year's Day at a little after 10:00 a.m., as Cory and I were laying in bed talking, I noticed Ellie becoming more active so I told him to feel. He sat there for a second and almost immediately started getting frustrated. I told him to be patient, so he sat quietly for another few seconds and finally it all paid off!!! She kicked so hard that it made me jump (I'd never felt one that hard before) and Cory jump too! He giggled about it for most of the day and everyone he talked to he told, "Hey, guess what...? I got to feel my baby kick today!" It was great! He got to feel her thumping around again the following night! Being able to actually feel her as seemed to have made it more real to him than even seeing her on the ultrasound! On New Year's Day we ended up in Tri Cities looking for cribs! We (meaning Cory) also decided on a bedding set for Ellie just a few days later!
As of today we have purchased the crib and dresser set, bedding, and 2 Ugly Dolls (that's what they're called, they're kind of so ugly they're cute) and gotten the room set up! Cory chose the crib / dresser, I narrowed a list of bedding and let him have the final say, and the Ugly Dolls were all him too! I wanted to get her one doll but he liked the one I had plus another one...so 2 it was! He said, "I like those! I hope Ellie does too, when she's older I want to tell her, 'go get your Ugly and come sit with Daddy!' and then she'll do it!" He kinda stole my heart :o)! Seeing him get so excited is really an emotional event for me. For a while there I was wondering if it was even going to sink in for him before she got here. No worries though! He thinks it's great and can't wait for her to be here! LIFE IS GOOD!
24 week check up: February 8, 2008.