He's Here!

August 4, 6:03 pm

My baby boy is here!  You never think you could love another child as much as you love your first, but somehow there is enough love to go around.  It's only been one day and yet, it feels like I've been loving D for a long time.

Of course, my water broke after a long day (with no nap) + late dinner party at a family member's house.  I was exhausted and half asleep on the couch when I felt a sharpe twinge and contraction at midnight.  Then I went pee and it just never stopped gushing.  I recognized this sensation and started immediately gathering my things (my bag was already 95% packed).  My dr was on call and affirmed that I should come in right away.  Woke up the hubs and then sat in the car waiting while it felt like he took his sweet time (10 minutes felt like an eternity). 

I honestly thought that I would be eating breakfast the next morning having had a baby.  However, from midnight to 6:30 am, I dilated 2 cm from 3 cm.  At some point in there, I got an epidural as the low back pain was pretty intense.  Then from 6:30 am - 8:30 am, I dilated 3 cm to 8 cm.  Then, after a whole lot of nothing, I started getting Pitocin to kick things into gear.  Lunchtime passed and I still was only at 9 cm for a long, long time.  Then, it was mid-to-late afternoon and finally at 10 cm.  I pushed and pushed and nothing was happening.  I was bummed because I felt like it was my fault bec my doctor kept telling me I was pushing in the wrong areas.  Instead of, "You can do it!" which my nurse kept saying, my doctor kept criticizing my technique.  I wasn't pushing in a sustained way.  I was pushing into the wrong areas, etc.  SO, the next step was more Pitocin and turning off the epidural.  This ended up being the worst pain I have ever felt in my life.  Baby was sunny-side up, so my low back was burning.  I was screaming and yelling like they do on TV, it was MISERY.  The reason things had gone on as long as they did (15 hours up to this point) was that I was determined to not have a c-section, which my dr supported.  After about two hours of pushing, I was done, "Get the baby out of me."  Between that decision and the actual c-section, I feel like 30 min passed.  It was amazing.  At one point, for a split second when my eyes were actually open, I saw like 9 people in the room.  I screamed and wailed as my bed was wheeled into the operating room, before the pain meds kicked in.  Then it was heaven -- the tugging and pulling of the C-section was super creepy and not totally pleasant, but nothing compared to the pain that I had been going through previously.  Then the baby was out and DH and I just started crying.  It was such a relief, in more ways than one. 

It's been 26 hours since I've given birth and I am now a free woman with the catheter out, the IV hand needle dealie-bob out, oxygen tube gone, no more vitals being checked all the time, eating real food, being able to move, etc.  I am about to take my first shower since Friday.  I am also able to walk around now... woot!

OMG, I realize I left out a KEY piece of info that explains the c-section as well... D was 8 lbs 11.4 oz!!  And I am 5' 1", originally 113 lbs.  So that was a big (ha, ha) issue.

So being that D is so big, we are having to supplement with formula every 2 hours.  His blood sugar was measuring low, so he has had to have his heel pricked every 2-3 hours since yesterday.  : (  It's now on the up and up and he just has to pass one more test, otherwise, we would have to admit him to the NICU.  : (  I have to pump every 3 hours, even though I am basically pumping dust. 

I don't understand why, evolutionarily speaking, women don't get their milk in for so long...

Anyway, I'm hoping that my milk will come in w/o any problems (I had no probs w/ DS#1, but with c-sections, I've heard scary stories) -- I really value breastfeeding and really want to be able to do it with #2! 

I'm really tired and unfocused, so hope this all makes sense!

Will post again when my mind is more clear!

Basically, I adore my baby and am SO thankful for him (and CCRM's help in getting him here)!

39w: No baby yet...

I was hoping that by now, we'd have met #2.  Especially because DS was 2 weeks early so as soon as it was 38w, I was anticipating labor.  Right now, my hands are puffy and my joints are sore (so fine motor skills like squeezing toothpaste are a challenge), my feet look like pillowy mini-loaves of bread and I walk like an old lady.  I also sleep horribly and am perpetually exhausted.  (Yesterday, I woke up at 8 am and took at nap at 10 am).  Didn't appreciate when last night, my BiL commented that it looked like I had two babies in me.

Didn't help either that on Tuesday, when I saw my Dr., she said I was 2.5 cm and 50% effaced, so that added to my anticipation.  I've read that women in that same position have both gone into labor right away or been in that state for weeks.  Also, very early morning on Friday, at 4:30 am-ish, I had about an hour of contractions, so that threw me off, but they were clearly irregular and temporary.  At one moment, I was like, "Darn!  Now I can't watch the Opening Ceremonies!" 

Anyway, of course, I want Baby to be fully cooked and healthy, and am very thankful to be in this position, but I'm just tired of being uncomfortable and need to gripe.  It would be nice if he came this week versus after 40weeks...

Baby -- if you can hear me, I'm ready!  We're all ready and excited to meet you and give our love to you! 

Okay, ice baths for my feet and hands await...

Home Stretch!

Technically, I'm at 37w5d.  However, DS arrived 2 weeks early.  So things could be happening any moment now.  Nursery is done.  Hospital bag is mostly packed.  Carseat is installed.  Registered at the hospital.  Most of the big things are organized, but I still have so many things I want to organize (but in reality, it's no big deal if I don't get to my recipes -- see how obsessive this nesting can get?).  I have never done the "traditional" update, so I'm doing a variation of it this time.

Total Weight Gain: At my last appointment, I held steady at 156 lbs for over a week.  Phew.  I was probably at 120 lbs during IVF... So while I'm big for me, at least I'm not quite at Mariah Carey or Jessica Simpson levels.

Sleep: I dug out some old wrist guards from old injuries and they are helping with the arm/hand numbness.  If I didn't have to pee, I can actually sleep through the night!  I was so happy to figure this out, because I was starting to dread sleep.

Movement: Not a ton, but it's there.  At my 36w u/s, the head was confirmed to be facing down.  I get twinges here and there in my lower uterus, but not BH contractions or anything. 

Symptoms: Swollen hands and feet, particularly in the morning and night.  I have taken to soaking my feet in an ice bath (using a big canning pot) and then my hands in mixing bowls.  It's quite a sight.  Does provide some relief.  Also, hanging out in the pool while DS swims/plays has been another reliever.  My feet looked normal, which was a rare sight!  The swelling also contributes to joint pain.  It's hard to use a pen or do fine motor types of things.  Another weird/annoying symptom was that my teeth/jaw felt all out of whack for a while.  Then, things got totally misaligned and eating hurt and I couldn't bite down evenly on my teeth/jaw.  Just as I made a chiro appointment, things popped back into place upon waking one morning.  Phew.  It was a bummer when one of my biggest loves (eating) caused pain.

What I miss: Being able to move around easily.  Sleeping in any position.

What I look forward to: Meeting our new little boy!  While there is no reason to think otherwise, I am still nervous about having a healthy delivery/little baby.  But no matter what, we will love him to pieces...

Okay, on my agenda today: more organizing/puttering, some baking (we are having company tonight and tomorrow -- gotta squeeze in every last bit of socializing!!)...
I probably won't update again til the little guy makes his appearance.  Unless he's late...

Have a good weekend y'all!

Voila - the Nursery!

Starting from the right side of the room, going to the left.  Painted the ceiling and the walls (after sanding off the weird stucco texture).  Removed weird old fluorescent light fixtures and dark soffits.

Befores and afters:

Before

After

Before

After

Before - we ditched a lot of crap!!  Like old electronics...

After - I made those curtains, the artwork and painted the bookshelf, which I got from Craig's List.

Before

After - IKEA crib

Today is DH's and my 10th wedding anniversary!  Fancy French food for dinner... maybe we'll take a trip next year or do something more substantial when I'm not uber-preggo.

36.5 weeks

Thought I'd write during a moment where my hands are not aching from joint pain.  I'm experiencing the full puff of swollen-ness in my hands and feet.  Even Crocs are snug on my feet.  When I wake up, I cannot make a fist.  I also wake up several times a night with no feeling in my hands and have to shake it out.  A byproduct of the swollen hands is joint pain -- I find it difficult to write, squeeze toothpaste, etc, etc.  I feel like an old lady!  When I drive, I cannot be at "10 and 2," otherwise I lose feeling in my hands.  I have to keep my hands down low.

Yesterday, I had my 36 week appointment -- had a (way too) quick ultrasound which confirmed that the baby's head is down.  Also, I now weigh 156 pounds, which is a record for me.  4 pounds in 2 weeks!  At this rate, I will definitely crack 160. 

DH has a job interview in FL coming up, not scheduled yet.  I'm deathly afraid of having to go through labor alone... When DS was arriving, he was also in FL, but came back in time (helped that my water broke but I had no contractions so things were slow).

Also went to a refresher childbirth class this week -- it was good to get some review of the stages of labor and also on breathing techniques.  It was a bit long, though, and DH was dying.  But we managed to be naughty students and crack ourselves up throughout. 

Okay, I am starving (again) -- time to get some grub!

TMI: ~35w

Had a dr's appointment yesterday -- had to wait an HOUR, and this was in the morning, rather than the usual late afternoon, after work.  Boo. 

Baby boy is quite variable in his movement -- two nights ago, I thought I was done -- that I should stop working on the nursery and that it was over.  I felt nothing ALL DAY and not until midnight did I feel something.  Whereas, some nights, I would feel some movement earlier on.  And the doppler my friend lent me doesn't always find the heartbeat and/or the beat isn't very strong or consistent.  Unlike the dr's doppler which finds the beat on the first try and it's very loud and consistent.  So that doesn't help either.  Really hard not to be paranoid and worried -- I've heard so many horror stories both from people first-hand and over the blogosphere... (though, thankfully, no one is offering them up to me right now, except for my mom a while back).

The latest thing, though, is TMI -- I feel like I STINK down there.  I definitely cannot get away with not showering for one day.  I know some discharge is normal and it's not like I'm leaking non-stop (like leaking amniotic fluid).  The dr said maybe with the heat and all, that makes things worse.  But she swabbed me for yeast, BV, gardnerella (in addition to Group B Strep) etc and it all came back negative.  She said she didn't notice anything funky when she did my examination, but then again, she said, "I smell this all day long."  LOL!  OMG, I thought I was going to die.  Anyhow, I just feel nasty.

Otherwise, all is well.  Slowly chipping away at the nursery and coming across old cassette tapes (including one of me playing piano from 1985!!), laptops the size of phone books, etc.  Trying to deal with crap that we have put off dealing with for at least a decade.  It feels good, but it's slow-going.  Again, SO thankful to have the time to deal with this.  Speaking of, it's time I stopped procrastinating and got to work!

~34 weeks

Well, DH's job situation is, indeed, as we feared.  He has since applied for a few positions (though not even close to his previous salary), but we do have enough buffer to cover us for me to work PT after baby.  We'll see how it goes.  It's still painful, but the sting has subsided.  Potentially, he may work PT for his old boss too, depending on whether things kick in with a new client.

Regarding my pregnancy, it's simultaneously hard to believe that it's already almost 34 weeks and yet, I can't believe that there are still (if all is on schedule) 6 weeks to go.  Physically, I am pretty uncomfortable.

In trying to sleep on my side, I put my arm under the pillow and then I wake up in the middle of the night with the entire limb completely numb.  Yikes!  It also happens with my entire leg after sitting in certain positions.  It's also tough to get comfortable when sitting.  I breathe hard just sitting in place!  : )  It's very weird to feel so awkward and unwieldy when there's still a good chunk of time left.  I'm very thankful to not be working right now.

I'm also constantly hungry, even right after dinner.  My weight gain is probably at 30ish lbs (but I was +10 over my normal weight to start with with all the back and forth with IUIs, IVF, etc).  I gained 3 lbs in the last 2 week stretch between dr's appointments, which is a bit fast/steep.  I try to stick to healthy things like fruit, peanut butter on whole wheat bread, etc., but do have sweets once in a while.

As far as movement goes, it still seems not super-consistent, but the nocturnal schedule is constant.  Some nights, he moves a lot, some, not so much.  I'm thankful to be borrowing my friend's doppler for occasional check-ins.  Occasionally, it feels like my guts are being stirred around.  Or someone is punching my cervix.  When I'm getting into odd positions, like squatting to reach something, I sort of feel like he's going to drop right out, due to the pressure I feel.

And right now, my fingers are like tight sausages typing...  I think mother nature has all this in place so women aren't wanting to be pregnant forever... (as some women enjoy their pregnancies so much).

Though I'm excited to have the baby, I'm also glad to have some time still to prep... we have been working hard (and now that DH is not working, he is around to help more, silver lining, I suppose) on getting DH's new office set-up and getting going on the nursery.  I'll post before and after pics when we're done.

Okay, gonna watch a bit more junk TV and then hopefully, will get a good night's sleep (the multiple wakings per night to pee has started!!!).