A Series of Thoughts: Maria's Birth Story Part 3

We left off here...a while ago. Now let's finish up this birth story. We are going to end with less detail but lots of pictures!

So, there I was waiting for my epidural to come and feeling pretty loopy.  I could still feel the contractions but the edge had been knocked off.  When the anesthesiologist finally came in, I was happy to see him.  My sister and husband had to leave the room while they placed the epidural but my nurse was great company.

After the epidural was in place, I was feeling pretty good.  I was able to rest but I knew this time was going to move faster.  She at this point broke my water and that got the contractions to speed up but at least I didn't feel anymore pain.  We all tried to rest as we waited for the time to come.

That time didn't take long to come and by early morning I was already feeling ready to push.  We called the nurse in because I wanted the doctor to start heading this way...I could feel that need to push coming and I didn't want her to miss it.  The nurse as I said was fantastic and she got me ready to go.  The doctor showed up JUST in time as I had already been feeling the need to push when she waked in and from experience I knew that I am an efficient pusher and that it wouldn't take long.  The nurse kept telling me to try some practice pushes but I told her we should hold off.  Once I finally did, she was shocked how right I was.  The doctor showed up, Special K and Fleasbyte got in their positions to help me and a couple pushes later out came Maria Anne!

She was perfect with all her little toes and fingers and such a beautiful face!  I got to hold her for a while and then she had to get cleaned up.  Even right after she was born, she was a confirmed daddy's girl...as she was fussing on the table until daddy put his hand on her and she calmed right down.  LOVE this picture!

I actually remembered this time to get a picture of Dr. T! She deliever both our babies and she is my favorite at the practice. I prayed the whole time I was pregnant with both of my girls that she would be on call when I went into labor! THANKfully it worked!

Our first picture with our babiest girl...love!

The best nurse ever!!!  I couldn't have been in better care than this woman!  She was a traveling nurse and not sure where in the world she is now but I'm so glad she was here when I delivered! She was amazing!!

Daddy and his babies girl!  Love them!

And then here are some more pictures from our hospital stay...

Carmen meeting her new sister for the first time.  She was instantly in love! 

Hope you enjoyed my birth story. I know this last one was rushed but life got in my way of blogging and I wanted to get this up before she is a year old!

A Series of Thoughts: Maria's Birth Story Part 2

We left off here with me heading to the hospital to hopefully have this baby girl! 

On the way to the hospital my contractions kept coming regularly and with a vengeance. The trip to the hospital thankfully is a quick one but it felt like it took forever. Before I knew it though, we were pulling up and Fleas was letting me out. She had to drive over a bit to get the car valeted because it was pretty late and the Baby Place valet was closed. I went to check in and the security guy offered me a wheelchair several times but I didn't want one...I wanted to keep contracting and sitting was uncomfortable so I just stood there, swayed, and waited for her. As soon as we got up the elevator and onto the Baby Place floor, my sister grabbed the paperwork, which after being there 3 times before during this pregnancy and twice with my first, we were pros at filling out. She had to help me this time because I was having trouble focusing enough to write my information down...another clue that this was probably it!

We got checked in and taken back to triage.  The nurse had me change into the hospital gown, lie down, and get checked.  This part is hands down my least favorite part.  At this point I was 3.5 cms and super soft.  She said they wanted me to stay in bed being monitored for 15 mins, walk for 45, and then she would check me again and at that point call and ask doctor what she would like to do.  I asked who was on call for the practice I go to and when she said Dr. T, I was thrilled!  Not only is she my favorite docor in the practice but also the one who delivered Carmen! I thought the triage nurse's plan sounded fine but told her that after being in pain and contracting for the last 2 weeks, I want an epidural and I wanted as soon as I could get it!!  She got us both some water and off she went.

I stayed in bed on the monitors and continued to labor for15 mins.  I was really having to work through the contractions and was happy when the nurse came back in and told me I could walk around.  I was ready to get things progressing and I told my sister that I can't go home...I was in too much pain!  She agreed and we began to walk the halls.  As we walked, I was struggling more and more with each contraction.  I don't remember this whole area of the hospital last time as I didn't walk around like I did this time.  

We waddled by the nurses station for the labor and delivery rooms and I noticed there was a younger male nurse.  I didn't remember seeing any men on this side 2 years ago.  I even commented to my sister how I didn't recall any male nurses back here.  We continued walking and stopped in the room with drinks for a quick drink.  I knew as soon as I got my IV, they weren't going to let me drink anymore so I wanted to get some liquid in before I had to resort to only ice chips.  At this point, I was really in pain and thought I was ready to waddle back to the triage room.  

We got to the room and still had 10 mins before she was coming to check me.  I tried laboring sitting down and decided that I was NOT going to do that again.  I kept changing standing positions and my sister helped me focus on my breathing and held my hand during each contraction.  Not sure I could have made it through this part without her as she kept me focused.  During both pregnancies, I found when I was going through a tough contraction I had to close my eyes and breath or I would start getting a bit panicky.  It felt like an eternity passed before the nurse finally came in to check me again.  She checked and said that I was progressing but not by much.  She asked if I had a procedure done when I was younger that may have left scar tissue on my cervix and I said yes.  This was the exact thing that prevented progress with Carmen.  She said she could break up the scar tissue now but didn't recommend it because I was already in so much pain she worried that it would progress me too fast.  She said they would wait until after I got my epidural.  I agreed to that!  Before she left the room to talk to the doctor, I told her to please tell Dr. T that I can't go home and that I am asking for pain meds NOW!!  I told the nurse that Dr. T would know I was serious if she shared that with her.  

Before having Carmen, Dr. T and I discussed at length trying for a med free birth and after 14+ hrs of slow progress and lots of pain, I got the epidural and couldn't have been happier.  After that birth and throughout this pregnancy, I had talked about trying to go med free again but after the 2 weeks I had just gone through...I was at the state where I wanted drugs and I wanted them NOW! 

The nurse went off to call the doctor and ask her if I was to be admitted or not.  My sister helped me continue to labor.  Not 5 mins later, the young man I had seen at the nurses station knocks and comes in and through the door I hear the best words come from the triage nurse, "She said to admit you!!"  Relief came over me as I couldn't imagine that I wasn't in labor or that they could possibly send me home!  

The nice young man, who had a southern accent and manners, proceeded to set me up to put in my IV.  He asked if I minded and I said go ahead but please promise me that you'll get it in one try!  2 weeks prior to this, the nurse had blown a vein in my arm so bad that I still had a bruise to show him.  He said he would try his best and I wanted to kiss him when he did it quickly and in one try!  He started my IV and got some of my vitals as we waited for another nurse to come take me to labor and delivery.

When the nurse arrived she asked if I wanted a wheel chair to head to my room or walk. After experiencing what it felt like to contract sitting down I declined and said let's walk. She looked at me in shock and asked again and I said no wheel chair lets go!  As we started a contraction came on and I had to labor through it...the nurses at the station asked the one helping me why I wasn't in a wheel chair and she giggled and told them I said let's do it!  That made me laugh.  We walked/labored as fast as we could over to my l&d room and got me settled in.

My labor and delivery nurse came in and introduced herself.  She was my favorite person all night!  She started asking a bunch of questions and got me into bed and back on the monitors.  One monitor for the contractions and one for the baby's heartbeat.  I tried to answer everything as quickly as possible and was just trying to get her finished and get her to get me meds!  She said she was going to go put in my order for my epidural and I quickly asked "Can I please have something now while we wait for anesthesiologist?"  She said she would check to see what orders the doctor put in and she would be back. 

By this point, my sister had already called Special K and put into motion the plan.  My niece Surfer girl had headed over to our house and my husband was on his way.  I was looking forward to having him with us.  He showed up just in time for the nurse to come in and start me on the meds through my IV. She had warned me it would make me loopy and within mins I felt high but it helped.  Special K took out his phone and recorded me all loopy!  We all were chatting and laughing and excited that baby was coming!!  I was happy to know my epidural was on it's way!  Check out this smile while I was in labor.  Can't remember if this was pre or post epidural but I know there was meds in me. :)

Please come back soon for the final part of this birth story, when Miss Maria finally joins us.

A Series of Thoughts: Maria's Birth Story Part 1

Our birth story has been something I've gone back and forth on sharing.  I had been wanting to share Carmen's birth story for so long but wasn't sure how to go about it.  One of my favorite things to read on other mommy blogs are their birth stories so I decided to finally jump in and share Maria's while it's still fresh in my memory.  I will warn you now...I can never be straight and to the point so I'm going to break this up into several parts to bring you along on my journey to having my babiest girl Maria Anne.  I may go back and share Carmen's as well since I still remember the details and I wrote it out but haven't posted publicly.

For those of you who were following along with my pregnancy, we ended at this post at 37 weeks...a week before Maria decided to join us.  We left off with me ready for her to come! I had finally given her the eviction notice but she wasn't ready.  That week I spent walking almost every day and generally trying to move things along.  I wasn't able to do much and mainly I would get the contractions going but once I took a shower, relaxed, and sat down they would slow and usually go back to just braxton hicks.

The week of March 25th was Spring Break for all my sisters(yes they are all teachers here) and many of them were planning to travel.  My sister G was flying out to Colorado Monday afternoon to drive back with her daughter, and my sister Fleasbyte was planning to leave Tuesday morning to drive around FL to check out colleges for her daughter.  These were the 2 that had jobs to do...so I did some stressing about what if this baby comes while they are both gone!  Aunt G's job was Carmen while I was in labor...but I was mostly concerned about Fleasbyte being gone since she is pretty much my doula...and a great doula at that!  She was there with Special K and I during Carmen's birth and she was such a great support for both of us.

The weekend started with one goal...get this baby out before Monday or she was going to have to stay put until Friday when they would all return.  I had the ok to move things along from my doctor, however, as with Carmen the most I was willing to do was walk her out.  Operation Waddle This baby out was in full effect, yet it was not successful in the way I had hoped.  I would waddle around the lake by my house and get home and be contracting and in lots of pain for several hours but it wouldn't push me into labor.  I would end up very sore and exhausted but with no baby.  After trying to keep labor at bay for 2 weeks I was ready yet she wasn't.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;...Prov 3:5-Prov 3:6

I knew in my heart God had a plan for this baby and knew her birth day was already planned but I had to have faith in his timing not mine.  This has been the theme for Maria's whole exists for me really.  Even before we got pregnant, I was praying for her and wanting to know when we'd get pregnant but I had to rely on God's plan in my life and wait as patiently as I could for him to show it to me.  So, here we were again...God teaching me a lesson in persistent, patience and trusting in his plan.

Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD....Psalms 27:14

That Monday March 25th came and I decided since labor had not started that I had to just let it go and get some rest.  I was exhausted from the 2 weeks I'd been contracting and in pain and I knew that if this baby was coming soon or not for another 2 week I had to give my body a real break and rest.  The plan for Monday was to lay around, knit, and try to get some sleep.  It started out pretty well.  As it had been routine, daddy got up with Carmen and they said their good byes to me as I slept in and tried to sleep as late as my body would allow.  My sister G called and asked if I wanted to go to Walmart with her just for a quick trip to get out of the house.

It was a short trip and we didn't walk around too much.  We were in, got what we needed and got out of there.  However, at this point I looked like a freak show that was about to POP so everyone had to either look at me strangely or say something.  It was interesting because people would look at me waddling around and you could tell they either wanted to say something or would blurt out the first thing that came to mind and then feel bad for saying something.  I don't know how many times I was asked how far along I was and looked at in amazement when I said not due for another 2 weeks.  I understood their need to say something...it looked like Maria was about to fall off my body!  I was a freak show!

After we got home from Walmart, I set up my spot on the couch...I had already worn a good indent into the corner of our couch from spending the last 2 weeks hanging out there.  I spent the afternoon watching TV, knitting, and catnapping.  My sister G boarded a plan that afternoon and was off on her CO adventure to drive her daughter back.  My other sisters Fleasbyte and CZbrats drove her to the airport that afternoon and then went shopping and had dinner before they returned from Tampa.  They all asked me not to go into labor while they were on the other side of the Howard Franklin bridge.   I told them I would try and stayed on the couch.

At around 3:30pm, I dragged my large body off the couch and went to pick up my girl Carmen from daycare.  I brought her home and we hung out while waiting for her daddy.  He arrived and we ate dinner and during dinner my contractions started back up.  He told me to go lay down and again as it had become the usual, he did bath, books, and bedtime with Carmen.  As I laid on the couch, the contractions kept coming.  I was concerned because they had come on after doing no activity.  They were about 4-5 mins apart at this point, which wasn't unusual but always concerning, and so I decided lets take a shower and see if they slow or hurt less, which had been doing the trick to make them go away.  They didn't slow or change at all but started to intensify.  I texted Fleasbyte, who lives across the street, and said "You are going to think I'm joking but I think we might have to go in to the hospital tonight...going to lay down and we'll make the call in 45 mins"  She replied with she's jumping in the shower and going to be ready.

I then laid back down on my spot on the couch and the contractions started to intensify even more!  I was having to really breath through them and I was timing them and they were on average 4 mins apart.  Special K as usual was giving me space and just kept checking on me.  After about 30 mins, I knew it was time to get going and called him back in from the 3rd bedroom where he had set up shop and texted my sister "let's go NOW!!"  I remember standing with Special K and laboring through a really bad contraction and my sister walking in.  I saw the concern on their faces and they knew it was go time to!

We had decided during our first labor scare that Special K would stay behind with Carmen until I was admitted and then he'd start the process of getting my niece Surfer Girl, originally my sister G, over to the house to stay with Carmen and he'd join us.  Only one person was allowed with me in triage and Fleasbyte is better at the waiting game than my husband so she won out as the person to hang with me until they admitted me.

After saying my good bye to Special K and getting a bit teary eyed...which I knew was another sign this was it.  We waited until another contraction was over and then we rushed me out the door and into the car and on our way to HOPEFULLY have this baby!

...the next part of this story can be found here.

Maria Anne 3 months!

Happy 3 months old  to Miss Maria Anne...

Weight: No apt until next month...so I'm guessing 14 lbs?
Diapers: Size 2s
Clothes: quickly growing out of every 3 month outfit we have and fitting well in 6 month clothes!
Favorite toy: her loveys (One at daycare and one at home)

Favorite activity: Bath time wins out over anything right now!
Sleep: She is sleeping through the night and has been for about a month...not the sleep through the night for her age which is 6 hrs but really sleeping through the night!  She usually is asleep anywhere between 8-10 and then sleeps until 6:30ish when I wake her up!  We are still swaddling her using a SwaddleMe blanket at night only.  She naps without being swaddled but she still hasn't figured out how to calm her arms yet so I haven't put her down at night unswaddled.  It's coming though!  She also is sleeping in our room in the rock n play. 

Physical Activity:  She rolled over once!  I had to help her the last budge but she keeps trying to roll over from her back to her belly!  She's also trying to grab things.  She looks at things so intensely and you can see her trying to move her arms towards it but as of yet hasn't grabbed things on purpose.
Sounds: She has started squeaking and doing a sort of audible giggle when she's excited!  

She is such a happy baby!  I know you shouldn't compare your kids but Maria is polar opposite of her sister at this age.  She's calm, pleasant, and just generally fusses when she needs something.  It's always pretty easy to calm her and she likes to just hang out and watch what your doing.  She also has the greatest cheeks that are so kissable!  So thankful she picked me to be her momma!

Happy 3 Months!!

Don't you just love her barknknit onsie?!?!

Catching up: Sister together!

And we'll round out the iPhone photo dump with pictures of the girls together!  Love these!

And again...try to pick your favorite? Love these girls!

And we're back! Introducing our little addition...

After having Carmen it took me a while to get back to knitting, blogging, and the things I do for fun.  I was hoping that this time after having Maria, it wouldn't take me so long to get back but boy was I mistaken!  Having a toddler and a newborn keeps you busy...but I'll get to that soon enough.  The past 3 month hiatus from the blog has been full of things I have wanted to share with my readers but I just haven't had a chance to write it all down.  I have written many posts in my head and hope to be able to get most of it out on here soon.  Bare with me as I find a way to organize my thoughts and posts into something semi-coherent!

My main trouble with coming back was where do I start?  I've sat down to write several times and I just end up with a blank page, time passing, and ending up frustrated.  So much I want to share but no real plan...so first thing first a plan!  I've started to work on organizing my weekly posts so that I have a plan for the week and set goals.  I am not going to share it all with you now but just look for that soon!  Next was what should be my first post?  After some thought, I figured let's start with pictures!!  So I'm going to post 3 picture heavy posts to get all the cuteness I have locked up in my iPhone onto the blog to share with you in pictures our life the last 3 months.  Then we'll get back to words.

And so it' begins...since I'm sure most of you, who aren't friends with me on Facebook or follow me on instagram or twitter, are eager to meet the new addition to the Barknknit family...we are going to start with pictures of our newest member!

Welcome Miss Maria Anne!  She arrived at 5:50 am on March 26th and weighed 7lbs 11oz.  She is so precious and such a cuddle bug! You'll hear more about her birth and her in future posts but she is growing fast!! Much faster than I can keep track of!

Our first picture with Maria!

more pictures...

All I can say is I can't get enough of her! Hope you enjoyed these pictures! Happy Blogging!!!

I challenge you to pick a favorite picture of Maria from her first 3 months?  I know I can't!  There are too many great ones!

Baby Bump: 37 week Update!

Not going to apologize for the little hiatus...explanation is in the post! Hope you enjoy and will hopefully be posting some more soon!! :) Have some knitting and lots of pictures to share!

Week: 37 weeks and 2 days.  Any day now!!!
Weight gain: 47 lbs so far...which is WAY more than I gained with Carmen. 
Baby's sex: Team Pink!  
Baby's name: Been decided but not announcing until after birth!  Per Daddy. :)
Sleep: This has been tough.  My hips go numb in the night and rolling over is a chore.  I usually end up catching up on sleep throughout the day as night time is not always successful for me.
Movements:  She is losing a lot of her room so the movements are different, however, she moves a lot.  When we were in the hospital the first time with pre-term labor at 35 wks, I could tell a contraction was coming because she would kick right before it started.  
Labor Signs:  Where do I begin...on March 7th I was at work and I had been feeling contractions since the night before.  After lunch I finally started to time them and they were coming every 2-5 mins.  I called the OB and she said that I should go into the hospital triage.  At this point, I was overwhelmed with that idea and started to cry.  I called my sister who was leaving work at this point and she told me she'd meet me at home and take me in and to calm down.  I texted Kenny at work and told him to stay there but that I was going to go in with my sister to triage to be monitored.  When we finally got into triage that afternoon, the contractions were every 2-3 minutes.  They checked me and I was 1 cm dialated.  At this point, they decided to monitor me for an hour and see if the contractions slowed or if I was progressing.  The hour came and they checked me and the contractions had not slowed and I was 2 cm.  They decided to give me a shot to slow the labor and it was supposed to last 45 and hopefully slow them enough but they only slowed to 4 mins apart and once the 45 mins were up they came right back at 2-3 minutes apart.  After that didn't work, they decided to try a pill.  They would load me up on the pill by giving me one pill every 10 mins for 30 mins and then it would take another 30 for them to work...let's just say that did NOTHING!  So, the nurse said she would wait until 9 pm and check me again...if I was progressing still I would most likely be admitted.  We waited, she came and checked, and I was 3 cms at this point.  So, I was given an IV and moved into a labor & delivery room.  

Ok...so that was most the excitement for the night.  My other sister went to the house to stay with little miss CGR, who had been put to bed by her daddy, and her daddy came and joined us.  The plan was not to help things along and just to see how the night went.  The nurse had warned that the IV may slow the contractions and they did.  Once I was able to rest in the l&d room, my contractions started to slow throughout the night.  When the doctor came in the morning and checked me, I was still a 3 and was sent home on pre-term labor precautions.  At almost 36 weeks, it was too late for bed rest but she said not to do anything to provoke the contractions and to rest as much as possible.  To make an already long story shorter, I have since gone back one night with painful contractions but weren't progressing me.  I've been on maternity leave since March 8th and just resting and trying to keep this baby in as long as possible.  We've hit 37 weeks so it's time. 

Operation walk this baby out has started and I am really hoping that things progress soon but now that I'm not working, I fear I will still be pregnant April 9th on my due date.  We'll see.  I'm having regular contractions, lots of pain, but nothing that would count as labor yet.  

Maternity Clothes: If it's not maternity then it's my husbands t-shirts and something very comfortable!
Big Sister Carmen: She has been a trooper!  I'm usually the one who gives her a bath and does a lot with her but since I've not been able to, others and her daddy have taken over.  I can tell she's noticed as she is a bit more of a momma's girl than normal.  She gives the baby lots of hugs and kisses and I even have her asking the baby to come out and play. :)  My daycare was closed yesterday so she stayed home with me and it was tough but we did it.  She didn't nap and I was super sore at the end of the day but we had a good time and lots of cuddles, fun, and play were had.  Love my big girl!

Past couple weeks: With being home now, I'm still exhausted all the time but not as bad as I was when I was working.  My body is tired and sore most the time but I've been focusing on knitting, resting, and my family and that has helped.  Baby will come when she's ready...but we are ready for her.
Doctor's Visit:  Had a doctor's visit today.  We are on weekly...so every wed I have one.  The doctor today was distracted as there was another pregnant lady being sent to hospital from their office.  All my vitals were great and baby's heartbeat strong.  She checked me and I'm still 3 cm so she said just hang in there.  She mentioned we could talk induction if I get to 39 weeks but I'm not ok with that.  As much as I want to be done, I also want this girl coming when she's ready...now if we go past 40 weeks...then I'll be more open to induction.  They did an u/s at last apt and baby was already measuring 7lb 4oz but as the doctor reminded me several times, that guess is usually wrong and I should not worry about delivering a huge baby.  And that she is confident I can get through this.  That helped.
Next Doctor's Visit: Next wednesday the 27th...hoping not to make it that far but the apt is there. 
Looking forward to: Being comfortable again.  Holding this baby girl.  Carmen meeting her sibling! (Same as 2 weeks ago but it's the truth!)
Todos: Other than go into labor, rest, still need to sort through Carmen's clothes and everything else is done!
Overall, I am trying to focus on the positives!  Just take things one day at a time and know that God has a plan for me and this baby.  God knows this baby's birthday and when it's time he'll let me know.  I have faith that everything is going as he planned it and I'm putting my full trust in his plan.  Reminding myself often that he has perfect timing and he has had his hand in everything about this pregnancy and just trusting that.

Thanks for reading another baby bump update!!

Happy Wednesday!  

Baby Bump: 34 week Update!

Week: 34 weeks and 3 days!  less than 6 weeks to go!!
Weight gain: 45 lbs so far...another 5 lbs in the last 2 weeks.  My belly has definitely shown this weight gain as well as my face.
Baby's sex: Team Pink! 
Baby's name: Been decided but not announcing until after birth!  Per Daddy. :)

Sleep: This is a hit or miss.  I fall asleep fine since I'm so tired but I wake up throughout the night and usually wake up around 3am or 5am.  Last night I woke up with a terrible leg cramp that had me in tears and hubby awake and massaging my leg.  Hoping to drink enough water today to avoid that again!
Movements:  She moves so much!  Her movements are now a little restricted because she's loosing room but she does a good job and stretching herself as she wishes. :)  It's fun to watch when she's moving around and you can see them on the outside.  I've tried to get video but that's when she stops...just like her sister!
Labor Signs:  Braxton Hicks contractions have started to be a daily occurrence.  Some of them have stopped me in my tracks and hurt, especially when she pushes against them. 
Maternity Clothes: I've been all about comfort!  Still loving the Blanqi support tank! I still wear a couple non-maternity t-shirts and I've started to wear some of SK's t-shirts because they are comfy and cover the belly.

Big Sister Carmen: She is doing so good.  She hugs my belly often and I've been trying to talk to her more about what's going to happen.  I just don't know if I should tell her I'll be away for a couple days. I know I want her to come visit as often as she can but I just worry about telling her things like that.  I feel it would be best not to point it out and just let it happen.  The people who would be taking care of her are all people she's familiar with and spends time with regularly so I feel it's best to just let things happen and go with the flow.  We have tentative plans on what would happen if I go into labor in the middle of the night or during the day.  Need to remind those about what the plan is but it's been discussed. :) 

Past couple weeks: I've hit my wall...I'm tired ALL the time!  Usually the beginning of the work week I'm much more energetic but by friday, it's hard to keep my eyes open.  I've been trying very hard not to plan much on weekends and let my body and mind rest.  It's helped but it's not easy when you have a toddler who still needs lots of play and stimulation.  She's been great though!
I did have a little bit of a scare last weekend.  I was cleaning and I slipped on some water and fell right onto my leg that I've already been having trouble with.  My belly hit my leg and so it wasn't a direct contact.  I called the doctor and she assured me the baby and I were ok.  I do think that Special K won't let me clean for anymore.
Doctor's Visit:  My last doctor's visit was yesterday. As I mentioned, I fell this past weekend.  I talked to the doctor about this and so she did a couple checks to see if I had any progression.  I have none so that is good.  All my vitals were good and baby's heartbeat nice and strong.
Next Doctor's Visit: March 13th with my favorite doctor!  Can't believe we are into MARCH!!! My last 2 weeks before going to weekly doctor's apts. Countdown begins!

Looking forward to: Being comfortable again.  Holding this baby girl.  Carmen meeting her sibling!
Todos: Same as 2 weeks ago...since nothing got done! Sort through Carmen's current drawers and remove any clothes she no longer fits into. BIG things that have to be done soon are to find and clean the cover on the co-sleeper/pack-n-play and the carseat.  Look into getting a rock n play sleeper and a Baby K'tan.
Overall,  I am tired and somewhat ready to be done.  I don't want babygirl here yet as I really know she needs at least another month of baking in there.  People, strangers, family, and friends alike, seem to comment more and more on my belly which I didn't think was possible.  I'm just going with the flow on that one.  Babygirl has moved her bum off my back so my back pain as decreased a lot.  I'm still waddling a ton and have some pains but not nearly as much as I did have.  This has been good for my mental state.  I feel so blessed to have made it this far and looking forward to the next couple weeks of what as Special K says is my last pregnancy so I'm working on enjoying it as well as Carmen's last weeks as an only child.  Trying to focus on the positives!

Thanks for reading another baby bump update!!

Happy Wednesday!  

Baby Bump: 32 week Update!

Week: 32 weeks and 2 days
Weight gain: 40 lbs so far...so...if you are keeping track that's 4 lbs in 2 weeks...guess she had another growth spurt!
Baby's sex: Another Team PINK!

Baby's name: The name has been decided but Special K wants to wait until the birth to announce this time.
Sleep: oh sleep...how I miss being able to go to sleep and sleep all night.  Lately my trouble has been having to wake up to roll over and can I tell you the pains I feel while rolling over are enough to wake the dead!  I try not to make any sounds when I roll over and wake up Special K but sometimes it happens. :(  I've been going to be earlier to make up for the waking up in the middle of the night...that seems to help but I'm still exhausted!!
Movements: Still lots of movements! I can tell they are different now that she is losing more of her room in there but she is still moving a ton!  Love it all!
Labor Signs:  None.
Maternity Clothes: I've been all about comfort!  Still loving the Blanqi support tank! I still wear a couple non-maternity t-shirts and I've started to wear some of SK's t-shirts because they are comfy and cover the belly.
Big Sister Carmen: She is doing great!!  I hope she stays healthy like she has been!  She's been so silly lately and learning new things EVERY day!  She's been reading, singing, kissing, and hugging the baby still and it's so adorable! Love how good she is with her dolls and really hope that she is as great with her baby sister.

Past couple weeks: As I mentioned 2 weeks ago...even though I was having aches, pains, and such I was still feeling overall ok...now I'm counting down.  Exhaustion has hit and it's been a struggle staying awake throughout the day.  I'm just getting closer and closer to being done.  I'm focusing my thoughts on the prize here but I'm pretty ready to be done with being pregnant.  I know I have at least 6-8 weeks left but I have a feeling it's not going to be a super easy road.

I visited the chiro last week and he couldn't really adjust me much, he did recommend getting prenatal massages for my overworked muscles through his office every week the remainder of my pregnancy which is COVERED under my insurance!  He said I could start with 2 so naturally this week I had my first one on Monday and scheduled one for Friday too!! The first one was amazing and while it helped my hips and legs feel SO much better...it couldn't take all the pains away.  It did help enough that I'm all for going twice a week for this week and next week and then I'll go once a week until I deliver!  The lady was great and helpful!  Gave me some things that Special K can do too!
Doctor's Visit: Today's apt was with one of the doctor's I usually say is my least favorite BUT today I really liked her.  She was nicer than she's been in a while.  She also said some supportive things this time and not the usually comments that come out of her. :)  She asked me how I was doing and pretty much said that all looks good and that my pains are normal...which all the doctors have said but I still mention them because they are there.   I had a little scare with really low blood pressure last week but she said that is ok and that it's nothing to be concerned about.  My blood pressure was normal today and she said I've run low a couple times but nothing too low.  She said if I start feeling faint then they need to know but otherwise not to worry.  She also said my iron levels were great, which surprised me since I've been so exhausted.
When she measured my belly, it's measuring 34 weeks!  She said that it's fine to measure a couple weeks bigger or smaller but if the measurement increases then they will want to do an ultrasound to guess weight.  CGR always measured about a week smaller and she was 7lbs 4 oz when born 2 days late...so the doctor said be prepared for this baby to be bigger.  The doctor and I both agreed the ultrasound guess weight wouldn't change my plan to wait until I'm in labor and try to go natural like I planned last time.  I'm open to the epidural(which I got after 14 hrs of labor with CGR and no progression past 3cm in that time) but I don't plan to have it unless I feel I need it then.  While she's not my favorite doctor, she knows that I don't want to be induced and will only ok being induced if it's medically necessary or if I'm still not in labor 10 days after my due date.
That being said...I do plan to start doing everything in my power to naturally encourage this baby to come out starting March 23rd!   My sisters will all be off work/school that following week on spring break and I think it's a great time for this girl to join the family!  Now...last time I swore CGR would be early since I had braxton hicks for over a month before she was born...but that girl held on!  So, I won't really be surprised if it's April 9th and I'm still pregnant.  Like everyone says, it's all in this baby's hands and only God knows when this baby is to be born...hope they are both listening!
Next Doctor's Visit: Feb 27th is the next OB apt.  Massage apts have been scheduled for Feb 15th, 18th, and 22nd. :)
Looking forward to: The massages!!  Oh they are so fantabulous!  I'm also looking forward to getting closer to my due date.  I've been trying not to rush the last weeks of Carmen being an only child but I often ponder what it will actually be like when the new baby is in our lives.
Todos: Same as 2 weeks ago...since nothing got done! Sort through Carmen's current drawers and remove any clothes she no longer fits into. BIG things that have to be done soon are to find and clean the cover on the co-sleeper/pack-n-play and the carseat.  Look into getting a rock n play sleeper and a Baby K'tan.
Overall, I'm still feeling good.  Getting more and more ready to have a baby in our lives and not be pregnant but I'll make it there.  Just need to take it one day at a time and focus on the end goal. :)

I posted the following picture on Facebook 2 weeks ago but I wanted to post here too...this is a comparison of my 2 pregnancies.  The left is CGR at 30 weeks and the right is Baby Rush #2 at 30 weeks...I can't get over how different they are!

Thanks for reading another baby bump update!!

Happy Wednesday!  

Anyone have any guesses on my delivery date?  I've given you as much info as I know...we can start putting out our guesses now. :)

Baby Bump: 30 week update!

Week: 30 weeks and 3 days
Weight gain: 36 lbs so far...that is around what I gained total with Carmen and I still have 10 weeks to go.  What is so great is that it's only a little over 2 lbs from 2 weeks ago.  Looks like my weight gain is slowing...could have been because I was sick over the weekend and not stuffing my face like normal....but I will take it!
Baby's sex: Another Team PINK!
Baby's name: The name has been decided but Special K wants to wait until the birth to announce this time.
Sleep: With Carmen being sick and with Special K staying up late doing work on the house, sleep has been rough.  Also having pains in my sleep and having to switch positions wakes me up.  Nothing to do but grin and bear it!
Movements: Lots of movement!  She loves to kick and wiggle!  I love her kicks and wiggles! :)
Labor Signs:  None.
Maternity Clothes: I've been all about comfort!  Still loving the Blanqi support tank!  I pulled out some of my old maternity jeans from last pregnancy and while they are a bit big they are so much more comfortable than anything else.  I have a pair on in the picture above.  Also if you notice even my maternity tops do not cover my whole belly.  Layering is key!
Big Sister Carmen: Poor thing has been sick on and off but she is doing great!  She has felt the baby move some more and is so cute.  When I'm reading her books at night, the baby in the belly moves over to give her room in my lap.  It's pretty cute!

Past couple weeks: Between sickness, housework, work, and life...let's just say I'm not even sure what to say.  We've made it through.

Doctor's Visit: Today's apt was with the nurse practitioner and I really like her!  She's new and very nice.  She felt around and confirmed that the baby's head is already down and she helped me feel it.  Was pretty cool to know I was feeling my baby's head.  She said that the baby has probably figured out already that she has a bit more wiggle room if she just goes head down.  The NP also said that the baby has her spine along mine and that is causing the back pain I have been having.  She gave me some exercises to try to encourage her to swing around and was happy to hear I have an apt with a chiropractor on Wed! Looking forward to feeling what he can do for me!  I could use some relief.  When NP went to hear the heartbeat it sounded so far away because of the position that the baby is in.  It's a good strong heartbeat but we had to hear it from a distance.  Little stinker!  So, I'm glad all my vitals are good still and my weight gain has slowed a bit. 
Next Doctor's Visit: Apt with Chiropractor on Wed and then OB in 2 weeks!!  Feb 13th.  All OB apts from here on out are already scheduled.  So wild!
Looking forward to: The visit with the chiro!  Really need some back relief.  The support fixed most all my ligament pain but not all the back pain.  Also looking forward to enjoying the last couple months of Carmen being an only child.  She is just growing so fast and want to savor this time before she has a sibling.
Todos: Same as 2 weeks ago...since nothing got done! Sort through Carmen's current drawers and remove any clothes she no longer fits into.  Move twin bed into her room and rearrange furniture.  Figure out the diaper changing station I was talking about and find and clean the cover on the co-sleeper/pack-n-play.  Look into getting a rock n play sleeper.
Overall, I've been feeling good and glad all is going well with this pregnancy.  I have a full on waddle and I can't count the number of times that either people have commented on the "torpedo" belly or asked me if I was due soon...nope 2 months!!

Thanks for reading another baby bump update!!

Happy Wednesday! 

Baby Bump: 28 week update!

Week: 28 weeks 2 days
Weight gain: 33 lbs so far...this girl is growing!!
Baby's sex: Another Team PINK!
Baby's name: The name has been decided but Special K wants to wait until the birth to announce this time.
Sleep: This has been touch and go.  I still need to update you all on the crazy that happened last week but let's just say for over a week no one in the house slept through the night completely.  Two nights ago was the first time we could and I kept waking up anyway.  Hoping to get more comfortable again and be able to sleep but with the way this little girl is growing...I'm not going to hold my breath!
Movements: She moves all the time!  She's starting to lose a lot of her extra room so I can feel that the kicks are different but she is competing with her sister for the prize of best soccer player in womb! :)
Labor Signs:  None.
Maternity Clothes: I've been all about comfort!  Still loving the Blanqi support tank and sporting the work out pants but it's comfy and that's all that matters to me!

Big Sister Carmen: She had a bit of a scare last week that I'll talk about in another post...but she is doing well.  She's not a huge fan of feeling the baby kick but she does like to hug, kiss, sing, and talk to the baby.  She even read the baby a book the other night. 
Past couple weeks: Life has been crazy but it's been good too.  I finally found the newborn-3 month box and did our first newborn laundry!  They are so tiny and cute!  I am waiting on the 3 month clothes because I'm not sure where her clothes are going to go yet so I don't want to do them quite yet.  The kids(...yes...I said kids..so crazy...)are going to share a room eventually but the baby will be in our room for the first couple months.  I've been thinking about setting up a diaper/clothes changing area for the new baby that is either in our room or the living room.  That way at night when she needs changing I don't need to go into disturb Carmen.  We haven't put the twin bed in her room yet but that is on the list of things to do soon.  As soon as we get that in there, then we'll know more about what other furniture will fit and figure out where we want it to go.  My friend has offered her small diaper changing table since with Carmen we just used a dresser with a contour changing pad on it and while I was hesitant at first I realized it would be a great idea to have that in our room or in the living room for changes.  Thankfully with the new house we have room! :) I'll try to take a picture of the before and after but we haven't really decorated things fully yet since we knew that her room would change with the new baby's stuff.

Pictures comparing the growth in 2 weeks....WOW!

Doctor's Visit: The doctor's visit today went well...sort of.  I had my glucose test that now I just have to wait for the test results but they sort of forgot about me.  I ended up waiting a long time and then I was going to be late getting back for a call so then they rushed me through.  I had stuff I wanted to discuss with the doctor more but I guess since we start 2 week apts now I'll be back there soon.  Nothing was really urgent.  Baby is doing well with a strong heartbeat and my vitals were great.  Blood pressure was perfect and weight gain while still going at an alarming rate for me...doesn't seem to alert anyone. :)
Next Doctor's Visit: 2 weeks!!  Feb 1st.
Looking forward to: Getting the results from the glucose test.  I hate wondering if I'm gestational diabetic...it's so nerve wracking.  I wasn't last pregnancy and I don't think I will be this one either but you never know. 
Todos: Sort through Carmen's current drawers and remove any clothes she no longer fits into.  Move twin bed into her room and rearrange furniture.  Figure out the diaper changing station I was talking about and find and clean the cover on the co-sleeper/pack-n-play.  Look into getting a rock n play sleeper.

Overall, I'm still in a little shock we have arrived at the third trimester already.  I'm SO glad we are that far along because I seriously feel like she is growing so fast and taking over my whole torso and pushing anything she needs to aside...especially my lungs!  I'm also very glad we have time before she'll be here.  We are getting things organized to God willing close on our house at the end of next month and then we'll need to prepare for her arrival shortly there after.  It's a lot going on but we've had time to plan for all of it thankfully.  Just hoping that baby girl can stay put and keep cooking until we are ready for her.  My knitting mojo is still going great and I managed to spin some last night with no pain!  YAY!  So...overall...this preggo is doing good this week.

Thanks for reading another baby bump update!!

Happy Wednesday!