Carly Joy is here!

So, the last post about 5 days was a lie. She was here just 2 days later!

It was an unpleasant, scary and almost sorta traumatic birth. I will post the details as I get a chance. Right now, we are tired, and exhausted. Its our first full day home so we are trying to adjust and figure out our new routine and schedule. I have Nick here helping me off work for 3 weeks and he is doing AMAZING. Tomorrow night my Mother In Law comes in until June.

So, I make you wait no more....

CARLY JOY

Born: 21 March, 9:10 PM via C-section. (Details on this later) 6 pounds 4 ounces 19 1/4" long
Happy, healthy, baby girl!

After pitocin started, but before the major pain began. And the last belly picture! I am very swollen and bloated here from all the fluids.

Nick was in the nursery with Carly right after birth while I was getting stitched back up in the operating room.

This is my favorite picture of her I think...She looks so happy to be born. And this picture looks so much like myself as a baby. I cant get over it! But at the same time, when shes asleep, I think she looks just like her Dad.

5

5 more days little girl. 

5.

Just FIVE.

I'm speechless.

Of course, you are beyond welcome to come sooner and be an early bird like your Dad, and sister.

Then I will get pain relief in my back much sooner. And be that much closer to all this carpel tunnel stuff being gone.

Induction date scheduled

I don't even feel like posting but I need to keep up with all this before I lose track of details and dates.

Ugh. I had such hopes of going into my appointment day, seeing my favorite midwife, and coming out with an  induction date sometime this week.

But, not.

I saw a lady that I have not seen once this entire pregnancy. The joys of military healthy care.

The lady was nice, she examined me. I'm still 3 cm. I had mentioned at 2 am this morning I felt what was like a bubble pop and I never felt that before. So she checked the fluids I had to see if it was amniotic  which is wasn't and I figured it wasn't. She then did ultrasound and examined the baby and her fluids and all was great. My blood pressure was perfect and the baby's heart rate was great. So, considering that we are both healthy and on track she doesn't want to induce until the 39th week. I am frustrated and disappointed but at the same time I cant get mad. She is right. Since week 39 falls on a Saturday for me, and they don't do inductions on weekends, I am scheduled to be induced on Monday the 25th at 5 am. One more week. 6 more days not counting today. And yes, I know this is not a long wait...but when you are at the end of pregnancy...every day feels like a week.

I am so uncomfortable. I cant sleep because of the carpel tunnel pain and numbness. :( Not to mention the 100 other reasons that make me so uncomfortable. BLAH.

One more week. 6 more days. I.can.do.it.

I don't see the baby coming on her own at all before then, I just still feel no different and it's just pure gut instinct. Lets hope I'm wrong.

38 weeks and NST details here.

Yesterday I had my first NST ( non stress test ) visit. All was normal. Baby's heart rate was great, my blood pressure was fine. I will go twice a week from now until birth day but hopefully that isn't but for another one or possibly 2 times at the most. 

Monday is the next NST, (how will I ever make it through the weekend?!) and then right after NST I see the doctor to be examined, and then I also was told she will go over inducing info. I should also get an induction date. I'm GUESSTIMATING, this to be SOON! Like real soon. On Monday when I saw she said she wouldn't let me go past 39 weeks. I will be 39 weeks on 23 March, in 7 more days. Which falls on a Saturday. They don't do inductions on Saturdays but only on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays I believe. So, I'm hoping and guessing that at  Monday's appointment I find out that in just a day or just a couple, our baby will arrive. 

That is of course is she doesn't make her appearance naturally this weekend. 

Which is is my number ONE hope over being induced.

But I honestly don't feel it physically or in my gut, unfortunately.

I see us making it to the induction date :(

And today we hit 38 weeks. Here I am at 8 weeks, 18 weeks, 28 weeks and 38 weeks.

I wont even tell you how much weight I have gained...

But I am over it now.

I will lose it and am looking forward to the challenge :) 

Again.

Crazy couple of days! Details here!

So, its been a wild couple of days. Yesterday March 11th, Monday, I went in for my normal, now weekly appointment for week 37. The night before I had some pretty bad menstrual like cramping so I thought I would mention it at the appointment. When I went back, my blood pressure was elevated. I told the nurse I did have cramping but not sure what it is because I don't know what contractions feel like. So she offered me the option to have the doctor check me and of course I said yes. They normally don't start checking until 38 weeks.

The doctor came in and checked me and I was NOT expecting anything at all like, Oh you are 3 cm dilated and 75% effaced. And yes, I was feeling contractions. Real ones. Not braxton hicks. REAL folks. Real.

Because of the contractions, combined with high blood pressure (also I had one time of high blood pressure at 28 weeks) the doctor decided to send me up to labor and delivery to get checked out.

Once I got there I was all hooked up. Midwife did an ultrasound and we saw the baby practicing taking breaths. She also felt her head down low so she is definitely dropped.

The midwife wants to take all precautions and call me boarder line high risk for pre eclampsia because of the high blood pressure. Even though it dropped back to normal and only elevated once more during the 2 hours I was monitored.

So, the plan was I had to pee in a jug for 24 hours. Yuck. She said I might make it the 24 hours or I might not. I was having nice contractions while in the hospital being monitored. One of them was pretty nice and wow, hurt. Obviously, Im still here and no baby yet.

After I left the hospital from being monitored the contractions stopped. As of right now, I haven't had any in a little over 24 hours and I hope to God that doesn't mean I will be stuck at 3 cm for days on end with no action.

I had to bring the pee jug back in the next morning (this morning) as well as have a growth scan ultrasound for the baby.

Yesterday evening we decided to go to McDonalds for dinner. I had a weird feeling while I was eating and couldn't tell if I had to pee or not so I went. As soon I got to the potty...there it was. The biggest, weirdest, grossest, 5 inch long clear, white, brown, snotty looking mucous plug. Oh my. I don't think I will ever forget that moment. Wow. Gross.

So, this morning. The scan showed a happy healthy baby. The ultrasound tech pointed out a whole bunch of white specks all around her head which was hair! And she pointed out Carly has chubby cheeks.

Then I went back for a blood pressure check and it was normal.

I am not concerned about pre eclampsia at all but the doctors are watching me close just in case.

I now go 2 times a week for Non Stress Tests, on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Midwife said they wont allow me to go over 39 weeks and that I had an induction date set. She didn't give me the date or go over it with me yet, but will on Thursday.

Again, today...more mucous plug has come out. I honestly don't know how its possible that there is that much stuff in there! So gross. I hope this means that my cervix is doing something. Maybe thinning out more trying to get to full effacement so I can start to dilate more? I don't know.... hopeful wishful thinking here. Maybe the longer the early labor, the faster the active labor? I dont know. I just want her out already and do not want to be induced! Unless she is past her 39 weeks and still not arrived then bring on the induction, but Id rather her come in the next few days on her own.

Im hoping that we are just a couple or few days away from this baby arriving and I don't have to be induced.

Today would have been a great birthday for her.

11 years ago Nick asked me to marry him.

20 years ago Nick's Grandfather passed away.

So Moms, when you start early labor? How long were you in early labor? Did you lose your mucous plug? How long after did active labor start? Did your water ever break? If yes, did it break before active labor or after it started?

Give me some hope here friends!

So long 20's!

We are out of the 20's in the countdown!

Only 19 days left until Carly's due date, although the past 2 days I swear she is coming out early. I feel so different. My body feels physically different in so many ways. Its definitely changing. Other moments I feel  like it's my luck that she will be right on time and some moments I think for a milisecond, what if she is a post term baby? I will cry.

Anyways, 19 days to go!!!

Tomorrow is my 37 week visit. I will be 37w3d.

37 weeks

Today. 37 weeks. 37 weeks pregnant. FULL TERM.

37 weeks today. Carly is the size of a watermelon, about 6.5 lbs and 18-20 inches long. Mom is up to 174 lbs from 117 lbs and is very ready and anxious to get fit again. Mom developed a few light stretch marks on the lower front of her belly. Still have a belly button slightly in. We saw Carly inhale and exhale on the 36 week ultrasound. She gets hiccups a lot, sometimes 2 times a day. She is getting really cramped, her movements are getting lighter. Carly's hospital bag is packed and is in the car. Big Sister's and Big Brother's emergency overnight bag is packed. Mom's is almost 100% packed. We are ready to be holding this baby.

36 week appointment details

36 week appointment went very well. Started out with weighing the Mama.... 174. That is ONE freaking SEVENTY FOUR. Crap. From 117 lbs....no wonder I struggle day to day with normal activities. Holy Crap. But, I'm over it. This baby is almost done baking. I will be able to focus on that number shortly. So be it.

I then got swabbed for some routine bacteria test, which I forgot the name of. The midwife said only about 1 in 1,000 people test + for it so its not a concern, just something they have to do. If its positive I take an antibiotic for it when I go into labor. Its something like a normal bacteria that lives in our intestines but can be in the vaginal canal and can be given to the baby on the way out during a vaginal birth and get into her lungs.

After that she was feeling all around my belly and was telling me what body parts of Carly's are where. And I was exact right on with that I thought I had been feeling for a long time. Her feet are to my right side. Her butt is up high way above my belly  button and at my belly button is sometimes her butt, sometimes shoulders. Midwife could feel her head down low and she had an arm to my left side but I never feel anything on my left side. She said her back was to my back so she is face up!

While she was feeling my belly, she could feel I was having a slight contraction. And then I said, "Oh, so that is what that slight crampy feeling is!?" Yup. It is. I been having braxton hicks contractions and didn't realize what it was. Just thought I was crampy. Woops. She said that the real contractions are just like that but much worse and once I cant walk or talk through them, then it's time to come in to Labor and Delivery. They are very very light right now. So my guess is she's got a couple more weeks before she is ready.

After that we got a quick peep at her on the ultrasound. Saw her heart beat which was up from 140's previously, to now 150's. We looked at her toes, and her fingers, and her face. Midwife tried to get a look at her girl parts but she wasn't cooperating. Fluids look great. Happy healthy baby girl cooking in there. Midwife is guessing her to be about 6 pounds now and guessing she should be 7-7 1/2 lbs at birth. But my hopes are she doesn't make it to 40 weeks and comes out sooner and closer to the 7 lb mark.

I told the midwife about my seasonal allergy problem going on, and that I was in the ER on Sunday morning because my nose and face were so closed up I couldn't breathe. I got some clariton from ER but it doesn't seem to be helping. Midwive gave me some more nasal spray, and some sudefed but said not to take the sudafed for more than 3 days. I will be taking that at night for the next 3 nights in hopes to get some sleep.

I also explained to her that near constant my fingers and hands and arms are tingling and I read it was normal, but its so bad for me that its almost constantly. Even when Im not doing anything. I drop stuff. It wakes me up out of sleep even it's so  bad. She told me it was my carpel tunnel and that I shouldn't expect it to stop until a couple weeks after delivery. Oh joy. There isn't anything I can do about it, its just something annoying I have to live with for now.

Then we briefly talked about birth control. Something I never had to think about before, so it's been a really hard choice for me.

Next appointment is on Monday, at 37w3d. Only 6 more days away. Crazy that I get seen weekly now to check on the baby. Just crazy. Where has the time gone? That first trimester I was such an emotional mess I swear it took a year to get through, and now here we are. At the END. Wow.

Yesterday I took a full body shot in the bathroom mirror of Kayla's preschool. I dont have a full body mirror at home so I took advantage. I got this picture.

My belly shape has defiantly changed during the past 4 days. I think Carly is more front and center, preparing to drop. Its my assumption, and Im ready for some droppage so I'm sticking to that assumption. 

Ha!

Different

In just 3 days, my belly physically feels and looks different. To me and everyone that has commented, it looks like she is up higher but she doesn't feel any higher than normal. I'm guessing just a nice growth spurt happened because I think my belly looks as if its just over all bigger. It doesn't feel bigger though. It feels less heavy physically. Weird. I don't know what is going on!! I sure hope she doesn't have to many more growth spurts if that's what this is. I was 5 lbs at birth and Nick was 8 lbs at birth. Id much rather push out a small baby!

36!

Home stretch! 36 weeks!

big 3-6 tomorrow

36 weeks tomorrow and ready to start getting this little girl to move down lower and into position.

I can tell we are ready because time is going SO SLOW.

Going to attempt vacuuming out my car, and going for a walk tonight.

I will update belly picture tomorrow as well.

35 week photos

The other pictures from our own attempt at belly shots.

They turned out, ok.

I'd like to try some again outside.

Ouch

Holy Crap-ola.
Ready for this little girl to come out so I can by small again!!!

Pity party going on right now....

Week 35

Ugh. Week 35. Weekly it gets harder and harder physically. I am not used to all this weight. At all. But, only 5 weeks or less to go so I really need to stop whining about it. Its just so uncomfortable and so hard. It's gone so fast and I know I will look back and wish that I would have enjoyed this more. I just want this baby in our arms already. With the adoptions we didnt have this long wait. I didnt have to do any of this physical work. We went through pregnancy, sort of, only for 3 months at the most, and then had a baby in our arms. The physical part of this is hard....and I havent even reached the REAL work of labor yet!! Yikes.

Anyways, we are almost done. Almost in the home stretch here. Or actually, you can say we are in the home stretch! :)

1 more week until my next appointment. Im going to see if they can tell how much she weighs and which position she is in. She was head down and I could really tell she was head down because any slight drop of urine in my bladder made me feel like I would pee my pants any second. I dont have that so much anymore and Im feeling a lot of movements, not so much kicks anymore since shes getting so cramped, but lots of movements to my very very far right side. Makes it feel like she is transverse. I dont know. I wish I knew what was going on in there.

35 weeks, still have a slight belly button in, and still NO stretch marks! Carly should be around 5 lbs and 18 inches. 5 weeks or less to go! Mom is so over this and ready for her to come out. She is getting really heavy in there.

Baby Shower

A baby shower was has this weekend! Hosted by my one and only best friend Dawn. If you been a long time blog reader of mine you would know we have been friends for 10 years now. I was once 18 years old, newly married, sitting at the BWI airport alone and nervous and scared because I had no idea what I was doing. I saw this lady with a huge pregnant belly and in tow behind her, 4 little girls all holding hands in a single file line from biggest to youngest. I thought to myself she was one crazy lady. We ended up on the same miserable flight to Italy, our husbands in the same shop working together and 4 months later she had her 5th baby, a boy and we  became great friends and remained that way even though Nick and I went off to 2 other bases to call home before we landed in Las Vegas buying a house 12 houses away from them. Crazy small world.

 Anyways, Dawn did a great job.It was fun. She had rolls, cheese and meat for sandwiches, and pasta salad, chips.

Please forgive the way I look in the pictures. I now look like a tired (4 nights of only 3 hours of sleep per  night) 8 month pregnant, had enough, lady. It shows. I don't take time to make myself look nice, at all. lol. And in pictures it shows. Ugh. Near only 5 weeks left of this. Thank Goodness. I have since discovered that tylenol pm is safe for me to take and I have taken it 2 nights to catch up on some sleep which has helped a ton.

There were these super cute chocolate covered pretzels that she made. I saved one and put it in the freezer for my Mother in Law for when she comes in April.

Here is the cupcake set up! Adorable. The frame was actually my birthday present from Dawn and she used it for the display. I love it.

Just a cute picture of Kayla, very excited to be as Ms. Dawn's house. I made a cupcake tshirt for her and matching hair bow.

Cherry flavored cupcake shaped lollypops made by Dawn. They were really good. Caden tore them up! The bottles are filled with apple juice for the bottle drinking game. And the little mint filled ceramic cupcakes were favors.

Caden being Caden. The morning before Caden got a pretty big black eye....figures.

Some items from Dawn used for the price is right game, which was actually really fun. She had the actual retail price on cupcake cards attached to the items and we all had to guess the price. The person with the most cards at the end won a prize. Kayla some how actually guessed TWO of the items correct. I have no idea how.

A diaper cake made by a friend.

The memory game items on a tray. Johnson and Johnson items from Mimi and Papa and the others from Dawn.

Kayla playing the bottle game and Caden not so sure he's allowed to actually drink from a bottle. HA. It was really funny and Kayla was so serious playing all the games. She was VERY VERY determined to win a prize.

Kayla playing another game, which Ms Dawn was very nice and let her win.

Kayla with her prize. She got her very own kitchen towels and potholder and pen with notepad all in cupcake theme. Now, she likes to help me dry and put away dishes!

Caden trying to play. I made a muffin shirt for him that was supposed to say stud muffin but for some reason the 'stud' letters did not stick. I need to buy some iron on letters and try it again. Its just not the same without the 'stud' on it.

Cupcake pjs!!! We got lots of cupcake stuff for the little girl. And remember my warning of horrible I look in these pictures. lol.

Opening a present from Mimi.

From Dawn's oldest daughter, Courtney...I love you more than cupcakes shirt. Way cute.

A cupcake shirt with matching cupcake pants. 

And Courtney's favorite animal is the giraffe. So Carly got a giraffe outfit!

And one of the most adorable picture frames Ive seen, it says Sneak  Peak and has a little poem on it. Almost made me cry but I was able to hold back.

And a great picture of Kayla with Dawn's 2nd oldest daughter, Tiffany. 

It was fantastic. Im thankful for a great friend. Those folks, are very rare to find.