AR's 5th Birthday Party

My sweet baby girl is turning five this coming Thursday, I'll post about that later, but tonight we're focusing on her birthday party! We had it last Saturday at my work. It was really easy to put on, they ordered the cake, had the goodie bags, and we just showed up. My mom, the master storyteller, told a story to the kiddos where she told AR that she was a king of chickens, AR's reaction:

The chickens had to lay eggs for the king, here's Nanny trying to lay an egg. 

Nanny even asked the dads to come up and help lay eggs! Thanks, Dads, for being such a good sport!

AR and the other kids thought this was hilarious!

Then Rapunzel even came to the party!!!

She loved her cake and having everyone sing to her!

Happy birthday, sweet girl!

AR took Rapunzel around the room and introduced her to all of her friends! 

Matt and I celebrating our girl! 

After cake, story, and Rapunzel, we headed to the pool! My sister and H got AR a mermaid tail that she absolutely LOVES! She's been asking for one since we saw one in January!

Me and the birthday girl!

This picture cracks me up! Doesn't look like any of us were too thrilled about the dumping buckets of water! 

Unlike these two who loved it! Thank goodness H came to the party, it was great to have her help plus what five-year-old doesn't love being with her big cousin! 

More pics of the mermaid tail, it was a hit with all the kiddos!

I'll be carting this around to all the pools this summer!

Her aunt got her some new heels and she was super pumped about that!

We asked her friends to bring change to donate to the local humane society instead of gifts. We wound up with $246.50 to donate to the shelter. We're going to go on her birthday to give it to them.

A big thank you to everyone who came to celebrate with us and who helped raise all this money for the humane society!!!

Autumn's Birth Story Part II...

...didn't mean to leave you all in suspense so long but finding time to sit down and type a blog post between taking care of a newborn, visitors, keeping up a house and trying to figure out how, where, when to get her birth certificate has made it a bit difficult. Now on to what you've all been waiting for...

At 9pm, our nurse Ashley came in and got me ready to push. First off, Ashley was AMAZING!!! All of the nurses were awesome, even the ones I didn't care for weren't bad, just not personable. Matt and I were both kind of shocked because contary to movies/tv, it wasn't a big crowd...it was Matt, Ashley and I and that was it! It was so calm and just a laid back atmosphere, I wasn't expecting the baby to come any time soon since it was just the 3 of us. Before I even started pushing, Ashley informed us that this baby was going to have a full head of hair-she could tell when she was checking.

Basically, when I was ready to push (the monitors couldn't pick up the contractions very well so we did it based off of when I felt like I was having one), Ashley would hold one leg up, Matt would hold the other leg up and I'd grab the rails. Then Ashley would count to 10 and I'd push as long as I could three times then I'd relax. It really didn't hurt at all, just lots and lots of pressure. Ashley told me that pushing uses the same muscles as when you poop so basically I just pretended that I was pooping and I got great results using that idea.

Since it was just the three of us, I would whisper things to Matt like that I felt I was going to poop and Matt assured me it was okay. Seriously, when they say you lose all modesty when delivering that's 100% right. I was pantless for 24+ hours, could have cared less if I pooped during delivery and I didn't/don't care any more about nursing in front of others (well some others but for the most part, I don't care). 

Ashley was great about telling us both what was going on and letting Matt get involved. I could see his face lighting up when the baby started to crown. He'd whisper to me what was going on. She asked if I wanted a mirror to watch. At the time, I said no because I was so READY for this baby to get out that I didn't want there to be time to get a mirror but in hindsight, I kind of wish they had. I pushed until I was tired and then Ashley went to call my doc, who was on her way already. Doc told her to have me keep "laboring down" and she was on her way. I have to say that I was so flippin' tired that the whole time I was pushing, my eyes were closed and I could have probably fallen asleep. That's part of the reason I didn't want the mirror and I enjoyed having Matt give me the play by play.

So we "labored down" aka kept pushing but not as strong as I had been. Around 10ish, Ashley said she was going to see how far away my doc was because this baby was ready to be delivered! Luckily, doc was in the parking garage and BARELY made it. Once she got there, Autumn was about ready to come out and she was still in her regular clothes! I just remember once Dr. M took over that I did quite a few half pushes and then out came baby! They put her on my chest and I said, "It's a baby!" which sounds silly because yes, I've known for the past 9 months that I was having a baby but seeing a baby come out of you and being placed on your chest was like wow!

Here's Autumn being put on my chest, still didn't know boy/girl at this point:

I wanted a few seconds and looked at Matt waiting for him to tell me boy/girl but he was just smiling and watching the nurses wipe her off. I finally said, "Well, are you going to tell me?" He got flustered and said, "I don't know! I couldn't see..." In his defense, she came out with her back to him and then they started wiping her down. The doctor laughed and asked if he was ready, he nodded and she spread her legs. A huge grin came over his face and he said, "It's a girl!" I leaned my head up and said, "Really!?!" He laughed and said, "Yes, really a girl!" After that grin came on his face, it didn't go away. Then he cut the umbilical cord (which I have a picture of and while it doesn't show anything, I didn't think it was blog appropriate).

So that part of my birth plan (him telling me the sex and cutting the cord), worked out but I wanted them to clean her on my chest and I wanted to nurse right away. When she came out, she wasn't crying right so they had to take her under the warmer and put something down her throat to get fluid out. I'm not 100% how all this went down because I was waiting for my placenta to be delivered but Matt was right there the whole time and the nurses did a great job involving him and keeping him informed on everything they were doing. Before long, my baby girl was crying like she should:

The nurse and doctor were talking about me but I wasn't paying attention, I was just watching Matt and Autumn. Not even 2 minutes after she was born, Matt looked over at me and said, "She's already holding my finger!" That moment was priceless and will forever be etched in my mind. This was the view I had for the next few moments. Two more nurses came in after delivery to help with the baby.

I finally turned to my doc to find out what was going on. She was stitching me up because I had a second degree tear, which I totally didn't feel, and we were still waiting on my placenta to be delivered. The doc and nurse rubbed and pushed on my belly for it to come out BUT it didn't. Luckily, my doctor was able to retrieve it all (and by retrieve I mean stick her arm in to her elbow about 4-5 times and take it out in pieces). Otherwise, I would have had to have a D&C to get it out. While she was doing this, the nurses were done with Autumn so Matt was holding her and standing beside my bed grinning ear to ear, rubbing my shoulder telling me I'd done a good job and I was okay. I was trying not to freak out and luckily, it all worked out. I got a bag of antibiotics and had to watch for bleeding. After I delivered, I was so caught up in watching everything that I didn't hit the epi button (which I think I only hit it 2-3 times before/during) so when she was stitching and receiving the placenta, I could definitely feel the pain.

I don't really remember much after that. At some point, I changed back into a t-shirt and my parents and Matt's mom came in to meet their granddaughter (my mom shrieked when she heard girl). I had to have a catheter put in to drain my bladder. My nurse really wanted me to pee on my own and I finally did.

Matt and I both agreed it was NOTHING what we expected but it was an AWESOME experience, something neither of us will ever forget. Despite everything my body went through, I felt really good afterwards and only took like 3-4 Motrins while in the hospital. On Saturday, Autumn had her hearing test and passed in one ear but not the other. They re-tested on Sunday and she passed with flying colors. They also mentioned that one nurse heard a heart murmur but no one else did including her peditrician that checked on her twice. All the nurses doted over her how beautiful she was which I'm sure they do for all the babies but it still makes you feel good :) On Sunday, my doctor came to check on me and we laughed because at EVERY visit, I would say he this or he that and she knew the whole time it was a girl. She has a great poker face!

Now that I'm home, I'm still feeling pretty good. Matt was coming down with allergies/sinuses while we were at the hospital so when we got home I'm pretty sure I started to get the same thing. Let me tell you that coughing is NOT fun. I'm super sore in the nether region so sitting down, getting up is no fun. I broke down and took some ibuprofen today because I was just feeling ick. And that my friends, is how our baby girl was welcomed into the world! Again, thank you all for your love, support and encouragement!

Ms. Autumn Rose in her coming home outfit and in her crib with one of the seven quilts she has (my mom made 4/7 and now all of them are in the closet since we can't put any in the crib)!

Autumn's Birth Story Part I...

...I'm laying in bed right now with my family :) Matt rubbing AR's back while she snuggles with him. I'm going to split her birth story into two parts because there's going to be lots of text and I don't want to bore you. Some of this may be irrelevant but I'm going to log in for my memory. First to break up the text, here's a pic of her sporting the home team-GO CARDS!

Okay, so Thursday at work, everyone was like maybe we'll see you tomorrow, maybe not. I was like, yeah I'll be here no worries and I left for my doctor's appointment expecting to be back on Friday. I get to my appointment and they hook me up to a non-stress test (NST) which was nice and relaxing. First off though, I forgot that on Wednesday night I pointed out to Matt how swollen my feet had gotten (it had gone down dramatically in the past couple weeks from when they first thought I was pre-preeclamptic) then on Thursday morning, I could barely fit them in my tennis shoes.

Back to the NST, I was relaxing with my feet up when the NP comes in and tells me that I'd just had a contraction. That made me feel good and I started thinking, hmm...maybe I will have this baby on my own before I have to get induced. Then a few minutes later, she comes back and asks if I'd been having any headaches which I hadn't. She went on to tell me that I'd gained 8 pounds since my last appointment one week ago and that I had protein in my urine, not a trace amount but a lot. She was going to go check with the doc to see if I should go to the hospital. Talk about a totally flip of emotions!

She comes back and says, yep head to the hospital right away. First she checked for dilation (none) and I was like, whoa! I head home and call Matt telling him to get home ASAP. I knew it'd be about an hour before he got home so I took my time when I got there finishing packing, loving on the dogs and sending last minute work emails. Matt got home and had the same idea so he watered some flowers, put away the mower until finally I was like, hey-let's get a move on it! I was told not to eat (in case I had to have a C-section once I got to the hospital) but Matt was starving so we stopped at McDonald's. Do you know how cruel that is to ride 40 minutes to the hospital smelling MickeyD's but not able to eat any?

We got to the hospital, got checked in and I changed into my swimsuit cover-up and some mesh shorts. They drew some blood to run tests and hooked me up to monitors to check the baby's heart beat and contractions. Then we waited...and waited...they couldn't start any meds or anything until my bloodwork came back. Finally it did and all looked okay except my uric acid level so good news, no C-section right away but it wasn't ruled out yet. At about 9pm, they inserted the first cytotec to thin my cervix. This HURT because my doc didn't want any gel used (apparently, it doesn't work as well). Contractions were about six minutes apart so I was feeling really good about this working.

At 11pm, I was able to eat so Matt went to the cafeteria and got me some soup and a parfait. I'd sat up right before then and suddenly three nurses showed up in my room freaking out, guess I'd moved the monitor when I sat up-oops. We were a little over anxious that first night thinking something would happen right away because we left the tv on all night and just dozed on and off.

At 1:30am on May 18, I got the second pill (you have to lay flat for 1 hour after each pill). Around 2:50am, I sat on the birthing ball because my hips were killing me but my nurse told me because of my swelling and issues I couldn't walk-lame! When I did this, Matt woke up with his second wind and started dancing around the room. Matt notes: he kept telling me he didn't get any sleep-LIE! I could hear him snoring-lol! Also, I'm glad we finally got text messaging but I think I spent about 50% of my time in the hospital spelling words for him.

At 5:45am, I got my 3rd cytotec and then at 6am, my doc comes in to see me. Basically, I was making no progress. She gave me my options which were keep taking the pills until 9pm that night then either C-Section or head home, come back a couple days later and try the whole process again. Needless to say, I was pretty disappointed after that talk. Doggie commercials were making me miss my furbabies, my mom had FB friend requested me and everyone kept asking for updates to which I had NONE. I got to eat breakfast and at 9:50am, I got my fourth cytotec and was laying there with tears rolling out of my eyes just from defeat. I took a little nap and felt a bit better afterwards because I had to tell myself that I couldn't change things, that this baby would get here one way or another, I'd just have to wait.

Around 11am, my nurse got me a machine to hook the monitors up to and said I could go on a small walk right close to our room. Thank goodness! We made two laps, all the nurses asking if I was okay to which we replied, yep, just taking a walk. I really wanted to walk to the nursery but it was too far away for the monitors to still work. When we got back to the room, my MIL was there. It was nice to see someone other than Matt (not in a bad way) so we visited for a bit then she left and my mom arrived.

Around 1:30pm, my doc stopped by again and said she'd be in touch and to eat some lunch. So I ordered lunch, pushing back my next cytotec pill. At 2:25pm, my nurse comes in to check me one more time because she was about to go help with a C-section so I was getting a different nurse. She was adjusting the monitors when I suddenly felt/heard a pop and I told her that. She asked if I was leaky and I wasn't.

I laid there worrying about it because I hadn't felt anything like it but the monitors showed everything was okay. At 2:36pm (Matt looked at the clock), I started to roll over and felt the GUSH. My eyes got big and I looked at Matt, "Is something coming out of my butt?" He walks over to check and he said yes (not my butt but it was rolling that direction since I was on my side). He called the nurse and we met the new nurse who was less than pleasant (eventually she was okay and was only there for a few minutes) who agreed my water broke and confirmed I was finally dilated to a 1!!! Now that I was dilated, we were able to start the pitocin-woohoo!!!

Matt got really excited and, again over anxious, because not much happened. We didn't call anyone yet because we knew it could still be awhile. Contractions got stronger and stronger and I got more and more uncomfortable. I was trying not to think about it but all I could think of was the pain is only going to get worst. I was on the birthing ball, Matt was helping me breathe but with each contraction tears would roll down my cheeks. I looked him in the eyes and said I wanted the epidural to which he asked me a million times if I was sure. I felt like I was letting him down, letting myself down, being a baby but in the end it was the right decision for me.

At 5:30, my new nurse and the epi doctor came in. They made Matt sit down across the room away from me in case he fainted. I did have to change into a gown for this and the rest of labor/delivery. Jo stood in front of me, I was holding her arms and the doc was behind doing her thing. She inserted it and my leg jumped. My nurse said, "Now is NOT a good time to be jumpy." Luckily, the doc jumped in and said, "That wasn't her fault." The meds set in and I definitely think I had more in my right leg (it took the longest to wear off). At 6pm, they inserted a catheter and checked for dilation and I was at 3-4!!!

Right when I was about to get my epi, my dad and stepsis showed up at the exact same time! After I got it, they came in and visited for a bit. My mom also arrived and came in to visit. I told her my butt cheeks were sore probably from sitting there. She left and I rolled on my side. I started feeling strong rectal pressure. Luckily, the week before, my sister and I chatted and she'd told me when she said she felt like she had to poop, that's when the nurse told her it was time to push. So as I was feeling this, I looked at Matt and told him that I thought this baby was coming sooner than later.

At 8pm, I told my nurse about the pressure who checked and sure enough, I was already at a 10!!!  She called my doc to inform her and get instructions what she wanted to do. Then she came back and said that we'd start pushing at 9pm!

Part II...let the pushing begin!!!

Timeline of Autumn Rose...

...I'm in the process of typing up the birth story, our hospital stay, meeting her new family and wanting to document EVERY moment (like hearing Matt sing "Silent Night" to her last night!) so in the mean time, I thought I'd give you a quick timeline and run down of how it all happened. Feel free to leave any questions that I can address in other posts.

Thursday, May 17
2:30PM 40 week check-up at the office; protein in urine and I'd gained 8 pounds in one week. Doc decides to go ahead and send me in to get induced
5:30PM Check in at hospital and took bloodwork. Most bloodwork looked good but my uric acid level was high (should be under 5, mine was 7)
9:00PM First cytotec pill inserted to help thin cervix; contractions were 6 minutes apart
10:15PM Fall Asleep
10:45PM Sit up, monitors move and nurses rush in the room-all was okay!
11:00 PM Finally ate dinner-broccoli cheddar soup and fruit parfait (also realized that the more full my bladder, the more contractions I'd have)

Friday, May 18
1:30AM 2nd cytotec and I fell straight to sleep; at this point, Matt kept saying he wasn't sleeping but I could hear him snoring!
2:50AM Sat on birthing ball because my hips were hurting from laying but was told I couldn't walk around
3:00AM Matt wakes up and starts dancing around the room (we were getting cabin fever at this point)
5:45AM Third cytotec
6:00AM OB comes to visit and tells me the different options/possibilities
8:10AM Bagel & cream cheese and a fruit cup for breakfast; also at this point, dog commercials were making me weepy and missing Em and Shad, my mom sent me a friend request on FB (for the 80th time) and I was being spell check for Matt for the 800th time as he was sending text updates
9:50AM Fourth cytotec and I started crying feeling defeated and thinking this wasn't going to ever happen!
10:00AM Nap
11:00AM Finally get to walk around the floor and MIL stopped by to visit
1:30PM OB comes by again and okayed me to eat lunch
2:25PM Nurse checking my belly monitors and I felt a pop
2:36PM My eyes get big and I tell Matt to look because I think my water broke-it did!!!
3:05PM Dilated to 1 and pitocin started
5:30PM Got epidural
6:00PM Dilated to 3-4 and 100% effaced
8:00PM Told nurse I felt rectal pressure, she checked and I was already at 10!
9:00PM Starting pushing
10:20PM Autumn arrived and my doc barely made it!
10:20PM Autumn got cleaned up while I got stitched up (2nd degree tear) and my doc had to retrieve my placenta because it wouldn't deliver naturally
10:22PM Matt looks at me grinning and says, "She's already holding my finger!"
Saturday, May 19
12:30AM Autumn met her grandparents (my mom & dad and Matt's mom)
Visitors throughout the day
11:00PM I looked at Matt and said, "Isn't it crazy, we've only had her for 24 hours? It feels like she's been around forever!"

Sunday, May 20
2:00PM Check out of hospital and head home with our baby girl!

Our first family photo

 Packed up and ready to head home!

Details to come in the following days!!!

Baby G Has Arrived!!!

...and SHE'S A GIRL!!! Can you believe it? She was born on Friday, May 18 after 7 hours of labor and 21 hours of inducing. She weighed in at 7 pounds and 15 ounces and 20 inches long. She has dark wavy hair and her momma's nose. She's amazing!!! For the most part, all went well but my birth plan really wasn't followed but the bottom line is that our baby girl is here and she's amazing!!! I'll do a few post on how it all went down after we get home and situated.

Here's my baby girl with her stork bite:

Look at that grin on Daddy's face and look at her checking out her dad (Matt can't stop grinning when she's around):

Autumn checking me out, this picture was taken just a few hours after delivery, I was pretty exhausted. She's got the cutest, most kissable cheeks!

Thank you for supporting us during this journey. Words can't express how blessed we are with all the family and friends that have showered us, prayed for us and watched this miracle happen. We'd appreciate continued prayers as our little girl grows up and Matt & I stumble through parenthood. I can't wait to get home and start this new, exciting chapter of our lives!!!

40+ Weeks...

...well, as you all read this, I'm already in the hospital! I'm writing this at 3:23pm on 5/17 waiting on Matt to get home so we can head to the hospital. I had the mindset that my induction would be scheduled for next week so today (Friday) would be my last day of work for 12 weeks, we'd enjoy the weekend (I already had in mind what all I wanted to do) and then it would be baby time!!! Well, as you all know, kids change everything!

I went in for my 2:30pm appointment, peed in a cup and they hooked me up to a non-stress test. Baby looks good, I was having a few BH and baby was moving. Then the NP came in and asked if I'd been having headaches. I told her no but that I had noticed the swelling had returned and I could barely fit my feet into my tennis shoes this morning. She informed me I'd gained 8 pounds!!! since last week and I had protein in my urine...not a trace amount but real protein. She went and checked with my doc who said go ahead and send her to the hospital to get induced tonight.

I think I took the quick change of events pretty well. She went on to check for dilation (none) and told me to head to the hospital. I asked if I had time to wait for my husband to get home and she was like yeah but don't dilly dally. I called Matt who thought I was kidding. I told him not to rush but don't take his time either. I came straight home and let the dogs out so they could get some fresh air then went to charge up the laptop, phone, camera, I-touch, etc...I made up the bed and put pillows on our guest bed, wrote a note to my mom asking her to do laundry and bring me some clothes when she got to the hospital. Then I sat down to send some last minute work emails I'd planned on doing tomorrow and then typed this up while waiting for Matt. I hope he gets home in time so that I can take a shower and he can shave my legs!!!

I can't even begin to explain how I'm feeling...excited, nervous, scared, excited!!! I'll do my best to keep you all posted but we've got to keep our family informed first! Say some prayers for Baby G, Matt and me because I know it's going to be (and probably already has) a LONG day.

Happy Mother's Day!!!

...Happy Mother's Day out there to all the moms, moms to be, moms to furbabies, moms to angels, those who are like moms and those who dream of being mothers!

Today is Baby G's due date and despite the pork steaks and corn on the cob, s/he is still in no hurry to come meet us! Although we do still have 5.5 hours left in the day...I got a couple cards and got to spend the day with my sis, H, Grandma and my dad. We hit up Babies-R-Us, scored some sweet deals at Costco (seriously, go check out the Huggies wipes deal for .017 cents/wipe!), enjoyed lunch at Outback and then went back to my house to hang out for a bit. Matt went to his mom's house where they planted flowers for her, a yearly tradition for their family.

Now for your viewing pleasure and to commerate the day, here I am at exactly 40 weeks pregnant!

Now come on Baby G! We're all ready to meet you!!! 

39 Weeks...

...or 40, whatever, right? Today I had what I'm going to call my 39 week check-up. BP was still elevated but stayed in the same range as usually. Baby was active. No protein in my urine but there was lots of sugar, uh-oh busted! One of my co-workers mom made what I like to call "Un-ladylike brownies" and she'd brought me one. I ate lunch late and had the brownie with it so I was totally busted. Oops! No dilation though :( Even though I went to acupuncture on Monday, nothing.

She told me that the hospital I'm delivering at is usually very busy and you have to schedule an induction at least 10 days in advance. She grabbed the calendar and asked me what I thought. I said, "Well, I'll be 41 weeks on the 20th..." to which she replied, "No, on the 17th." I said I thought my due date was May 13 and she told me that my IF clinic told me that but they'd changed it to May 10 (today apparently!). I went back and looked at my 10 week blog post on my IF blog and no, they told me May 13 too. Anyways, the 20th is the earliest you can schedule so the nurse was going to call and see what she could set-up. We're still hoping to go before then but at least we know if I don't go, when I am. Funny because this baby really MIGHT be born on my FIL's birthday!

The doc told me since I wasn't dilated that if I am induced, it could be a VERY long labor. I'll check in and they'll put some type of string in by my cervix to try to get things moving. They'll leave this in for 12 hours and then re-evaluate. She said the question is, if they induce and after 24 hours nothing happens then does she send me home or do we go straight to a C-section? Once things are set, I'm sure we'll review more info at my appointment next week.

So the plan now is...we wait. I keep monitoring my BP and baby movements and hopefully go into labor on my own. I haven't really tried any old wives tales. I've only done acupucture which the doctor there told me that since I wasn't dilated at all that it might take a few sessions. Normally, I'd be all up for more sessions but she just raised her rates to $50 per visit so multiple visits is not an option. Side note: the trip to L&D on the day of my shower is probably going to cost us $250 for the exact same stuff they do at a normal doctor's visit: protein check and monitor BP.

The Hfield old wives tale is this: the night before my mom went into labor with both my sister and I, my dad grilled her pork steaks and corn on the cob. So this is what Matt is making for dinner on Saturday night in hopes that this baby gets moving! Please keep us in your prayers, mainly that both the baby and I stay healthy and s/he decides to come soon.

Labor Playlist...

...my sister and H made me a labor playlist for my I-touch AND they're letting me borrow their iPod docking station so Matt can listen to although I'm not so sure he'll be thrilled with the music selection. Here is the playlist:

"Unwritten" by Natasha Bedingfield
"Push It" by Salt-n-Peppa
"Stronger" by Kelly Clarkson
"Cherish" by Madonna
"Give It to Me Baby" by Rick James
"Haven't Met You Yet" by Michael Buble
"I Like It" by Enrique Iglesias
"Making Memories of Us" by Keith Urban
"Baby, Baby" by Amy Grant
"Beautiful Day" by U2
"Can't Stop" by Red Hot Chili Peppers

Plus I also have my workout playlist, a list of Jimmy Buffett songs, some High School Musical and a variety of other music so I shouldn't run out. I'm most worried about running out of battery! Thanks Sha and H for taking care of this for me. What songs would you put on your playlist?

38 Weeks!!!

...I'm home from my 38 week appointment, chilling in the recliner covered up with a baby quilt and I'm happy. My doctor has decided that my BP is a chronic issue (although always low prior to pregnancy but it was high the first couple of visits) and since I haven't had any protein in my urine the last couple visits that she's going to let me go and not induce next week-woohoo!!!

Baby G's heart rate was in the upper 140s and my BP was 138/80. My BP has been lower this week and last night, I was super excited because I could see me knee!!! I'm still not dialated any but checking for it this week was WAY better than the last 2 times, maybe I'm getting used to it but I also wasn't nearly as nervous today as the last 2 visits.  It's supposed to be the LARGEST full moon of the year this Saturday so we'll be trying all those labor inducing wives tales.

Matt is happy I'm not getting induced because 1. we don't really want to be induced and 2. he's working on a big job at work so now he can hopefully help finish it. I'm glad I'm not getting induced but at the same time, I'd kind of built it up in my mind that Baby G was coming next week. I'm not totally uncomfortable, although pretty close, but I'll be happy when Baby G is in my arms and I can love on him/her. I would really like to take some time from work, like working some shorter days but I found out this week that it will take away from my maternity leave.

Random Thoughts
*As I'm getting close and I tell people that the baby could arrive any day, they all look at me and say, "But you're so small!" I laugh because only when I'm pregnant have I ever been called small!

*The new donut shop had peanut butter donuts as the donut of the day today! I was so excited and bought a dozen to take to work and no one was there to enjoy with me!

*Every week, I plan on posting a belly pic but as soon as I get home from the doctor's I usually get straight into my pajamas. I'll do my best to have Matt take a pic this weekend although I may not get out of my pajamas all weekend because, aside from a couple hours at work, I don't have anything planned.

*I'm down to 2 pairs of presentable pants I can wear to work. I no longer wear an underwire bra, it's just sports bras so that means only tshirts and I had to borrow some bigger tshirts from my BIL. I also got some from work too. So basically, I'm wearing the same outfit every couple of days at work. I'm hoping Matt will help me shave my legs tonight so I can wear shorts tomorrow because it's like eleventy billion degrees here.

That's all for now, please keep us in your prayers.

Nursery Finalized...

...the nursery is finalized and ready for Baby G to move in. Here are some pics of it all ready:

The dresser/changing table, I plan on doing subway art in that frame leaned against the wall with Baby G's name, birthdate, etc...and the list there is my newborn pics list.

Crib ready with my stepsis' quilt and a Diaper Champ ready for dips!

Close up of the shelves: diaper cake by my sis, diaper bike by my friend Paula, little birds by Aunt Jan and books ready to read to Baby G:

Top shelves of closets filled with diapers:

Bottom of closet filled with more diapers and pumping accessories that we won't need for a few weeks:

Other side of bottom of closet filled with 1s and 2s ready for immediate use!

There's still a few small projects to do like make the book ends but we are currently missing one painted bird to finalize that project. But for the most part, it's ready to go!!! I love checking things off my to-do list!

37 Weeks...

...home from my 37 week appointment. No induction scheduled at this time-whew! Blood pressure still borderline, when I arrived it was 142/90 which I was REALLY nervous and then the nurse took it right before I left and it was 142/82. I was super nervous about this appointment because I had NO IDEA what to expect, I was hot and I could hear the nurse coming to see me chatting with a pharmacy rep outside my room and I was getting totally irritated. If I'd had pants on, I would have totally opened the door and been like, "HEELLLLOOOO!!! Pregnant, uncomfortable woman in here, come check me and let's go!" But I didn't...

When she finally came in, the good news was that there wasn't any protein in my urine (despite the PB and graham crackers I'd had for breakfast) and Baby G's heart rate was in the 140s. I, on the other hand, had that borderline BP and super swollen hands, feet and legs plus I'd gained 5 pounds since last Friday and still no dialation (seriously, I hate checking for that). So unless I go into labor on my own or my BP spikes REALLY high (160/100) then I go back next Thursday for my doctor's appointment and she will probably schedule me to be induced at 39 weeks so the following Tuesday or Wednesday (May 8 or 9).

Random Thoughts:
*I feel better/yikes after this appointment. When I left my appointment last week, I had no clue how today's appointment would go. After leaving today, at least I feel like we have a game plan and being OCD, I like knowing a date. I feel yikes because my BP was higher than it had been all week so that worries me so I'll just have to keep close tabs on that. I loved hearing her say that Baby G's heart beat was good.

*As much as I DON'T want to be induced, at this point, I just want Baby G to be okay. After this weekend, I will start trying all the old wive tales to go into labor on my own so please leave any tips. The nurse said that eating spicy foods would probably just give me a belly ache (plus I don't even like spicy foods) and she'd recommend walking but not for me since that'll just make me swollen.

*I haven't mentioned it but one of those pregnancy symptoms no one tells you about is the excess saliva. Seriously, I choke on my own spit ALL the time, I drool at night and I even caught myself drooling when I had the fridge door open the other day! Weird...

So please keep Baby G and I in your prayers, we'd really appreciate it! Happy Friday everyone!

Showered at Work...

...on Wednesday, my co-workers showered Baby G! S/he is really feeling the love! These people got creative too. Here's an awesome diaper cake one lady made, it's 3 baskets and the top tier has baby wipes. One of the guys at work contributed to the cake too by adding in my favorite Reese's!!!

Amy and Holly made us some delicious sherbert punch! Lime sherbert, Sprite and Hawaiian punch-delicious!

Paula made the cutest diaper bike-LOVE IT! She also made one of my favorite desserts: Fat Man's Delight-yummy!!!

Amanda's mom crocheted Baby G this colorful blanket!

A group of them went in on a gift. Two of the guys didn't know what the girls bought so they were in for a surprise when I opened the gift specially from them and it was nipple shields!!! Luckily, we're all a close group so we got a good laugh out of it.

Seriously, there's like NOTHING left on our registries! The only thing we really need are a couple changing pad covers. We put a video camera on there and have enough gift cards so we're debating whether or not to get it. We need a few around the house items like a trash can (for the "baby's" bathroom because we never had one), ice cube trays (to freeze milk and homemade baby food), etc...

I can honestly say that I'm overwhelmed with all the love that's been shown for Baby G. This little baby already has so many people that are excited to meet him/her! Thank you to everyone whose showered the little guy/gal! We'll be sure to keep you all posted on our new chapter when s/he arrives.

All My Bags Are Packed!!!

...and I guess we're ready to go! Still hoping Baby G stays in there for a little bit longer but for the most part, my bags are packed for the hospital, well, as much as they can be.
This is the labor bag which includes such items as my labor outfits (oh-la-la!), toothpaste/brush, headband, ponytail holders, socks, lemon drops, flip flops, the baby book (to get cute little baby feet stamped in it) and behind the baby book is my bound birth plan and other important info such as phone numbers, copy of my driver's license, handouts on labor position, etc...I still need to add in the camera, charger, I-touch and some other items but we use them on a daily basis. Plus massage aids, snacks for Matt and the cocoa butter.

Here are all the bags! L to R: that's post-delivery bag with regular clothes, nursing bras, underwear, socks, etc...still needs toiletries, Matt's stuff, snacks, laptap, chargers, etc...

The orange bag is our diaper backpack which I'm loving so far! This is for Baby G and really I could probably fit all of his/her stuff in one of the other bags but this way it's seperated and easy to find. His/her bag is the only one completely packed! My sister is bringing a pack-up girl outfit.

Then the green bag is the labor bag, you see the list in front of the bags of items still needed in each bag and 2 pillows to take as well. I just have to remember to put some extra pillows on the guestroom bed before we leave!

I hope I don't forget anything but if I do, my mom will be staying at my house so she can bring it to me. What was something you packed that you wouldn't normally think of?

36 Weeks!!!

...so I'm home after my 36 week appointment. First off, the doctor was running over an HOUR behind!!! Today starts my weekly appointment and my Strep B test. First off, checking for dilatation was much more uncomfortable than the swab they took for the Strep B test so pregos out there-don't stress about it! I wasn't dilated at all.

To sum up this appointment, Baby G might be making his/her debut sooner rather than later...why? I'm borderline preclampsia. Blood pressure today was 136/84. I'd gained 10 pounds since my last appointment two weeks ago which the doc said she could tell was water being retained in my feet, legs and hands. I had a small trace of protein in my urine. So she can't officially say that I have it but I'm probably for sure going to get it and if that happens BEFORE I go into labor or my water breaks on its own, the only treatment is to induce for the safety of both the baby and me. If preclampsia is not treated then it could turn into eclampsia which could cause me to have seizures which is bad for both baby and I for a variety of reasons.

I'm doing my best to not freak out. Luckily, my mom is here tonight and cooking dinner so I probably won't get off the couch too much. This was Matt and I's weekend to get stuff done around the house. When I told him what the doctor said, he said, "Well, we'll get everything done this weekend and then be ready to rock and roll!" Neither of us are thrilled with the idea of being induced but we know we have to do what's best for Baby G.

Now here's my 36 week pic for you, not just my dirty 'ol tennis shoes but you can see how swollen my feet are, how stretched out the shoes are and how I can only tie them on the sides now.

So please say a prayer for Baby G and I that my BP and swelling gets down and he gets another week to cook in there! 

The Great Debate Part II...

...one of my most popular post ever was the one titled "The Great Debate" which discussed Matt and I's difference of opinions on our religions. He's Lutheran (MO Synod) and I'm Methodist, you'd think the differences would mean we're Catholic and Jewish but honestly, we're both just stubborn. Read the original post so you're all caught up...okay, read it? Good, now I'm sad to say that it really hasn't been resolved, just put on the back burner because it wasn't really an issue.

In my "many" years of marriage, I've learned that I need to pick my battles wisely. So we've been attending his church (honestly, we haven't been in awhile...not even Christmas Eve because I had to work or Easter because I was sick!) because I feel it's more important for us to be in church and me missing communion than not being in church at all. I also know how important his church is to him being that is how he was raised and where he went to school. I would hope that if we lived in Cape then he would feel the same and attend my church rather than trying to find a new one or a Lutheran one there. Marriage...it's all about give and take, right?

So now that we're T-minus 4 weeks (holy moly!?!) until Baby G arrives, I knew that we needed to sit down and figure things out. After only like two years of urging, I finally emailed the pastor and asked him to meet with Matt and I. Last night was the night and it went...well. The pastor was young, prob in his mid-late 30s and wasn't judgmental in what I thought at all, just did his best to try to explain things to me.

When we arrived, Matt was all nervous because he'd never sat down to talk to a pastor (outside of being in trouble when he went to school!). I told him don't worry, I'll do the talking. I explained to the pastor that I had questions about communion, told him what I believed and was honest that the "turn off" to their religion for me was not being welcomed. He agreed that it was a "tough sale" with communion. He even asked if he could discuss our other questions first before tackling it.

What I took away from the conversation: They believe that all people taking communion should have proper instruction. By only allowing people of their religion then they know that they've had that instruction. Also, they as a "church family" are making an affirmation together. He suggested that I take their adult confirmation class to better understand their religion and it was totally okay if I went through the classes and decided not to be confirmed but at least I'd have that knowledge. He said if I decided that then we could meet again and I could tell him, hey, I don't want to be Lutheran but we want to a family together at church and could work something out on the communion front.

In summary, my mind isn't changed. I still believe that anyone who believes, repents and asks for forgiveness should be able to take communion. I don't think that Jesus is selective in who can take communion. At the same time, I understand that it's their church and they have the right to decide who, what, where, when people take communion so I can't be upset at that. After meeting with the pastor, I at least don't feel as snubbed if that makes sense. I don't plan on taking the confirmation classes offered this summer as my hands will be a little full but it's definitely something I will look into next fall or even next summer (summer is a shorter session).

We also discussed baptism. I know there's lots of debate out there about Infant Baptism vs Infant Dedication. Matthew was baptized 3 days after he was born due to medical issues and I wasn't baptized until I was in 6th grade. My understanding of  the debate between the two is that infants can't make up their mind to be baptized so that's why some churches do dedications instead of baptisms and then baptize the child in middle school or later in life. Luckily, I'd done my research before we met last night so I had a good idea and the pastor confirmed my thoughts.

Basically though infant baptism, we, the parents, are speaking on behalf of the child saying that yes, this child believes in God, repents of his/her sins and would like forgiveness and to receive the gifts of God. Then later in life, that child can go through confirmation and make his/her own decisions about their beliefs and make that re-committment on their own.

It was kind of funny because we started talking about confirmation and he was telling me how a parent has to go with them each week to which I asked, if we aren't available can their sponsor (AKA godparent) go with them instead. I also asked if the class was in the evening or during the school day because we haven't decided private vs public school yet. Then I started laughing and said, "Can you tell I'm a little OCD? I'm planning this out and it's 13 years away!!!"

I asked how old the child was when s/he was baptized and he said it was up to us, some as young as a week while others wait a few months. He said he baptized his daughters quickly because it was peace of mind to him to know.

Matt and I discussed afterwards and I think we'll be planning a baptism in August when the baby is about 3 months old. Me personally, I don't want the baby around a lot of people or in super public places before they hit 8 weeks. I guess I differ in the mindset too that I feel like God will watch over and take care of our child before s/he is baptized similiar to what those believe that do Infant Dedication so I guess I believe in a mix of the two.

Matt and I are also in discussion, not debate, about godparents/sponsors. We both quickly agreed on a godmother. The godfather on the other hand is where we're stumped. Matt's brought up 2 people that I've politely said no, we've discussed 2 others-one that I think would be awesome but Matt thinks he's too old but he also doesn't have anyone else in mind!

So that's the summary of our meeting with the pastor. Am I convinced to become Lutheran? No but I'm doing my best to understand and respect the religion because it is important to my husband. More than likely, we will continue to attend his church and raise our child in his church but if they can respect my opinions than I can respect theirs.

Showered Part II...

...after my awesome morning shower, we headed up to church for the G-Fam shower. Matt's aunts, cousin and sister put it on. The food was also amazing and it was great to see both familiar and new faces at this shower. Our one friend is due with her first daughter today, she was having contractions 10 minutes apart and braved it out to the shower. As of Sunday afternoon, baby still hadn't decided to come.

The head table had this for decoration, his aunt made the birds which match the nursery and it's filled with all peanut butter eggs since I'm nesting! I thought this was super cute!

This is Grandma G intent on the word search game everyone was playing.

Yummy Costco cake!!! Lucky for me, leftovers came to my house!

Me with a boy outfit that says, "Mommy's Hunk 2nd in Command" and a girl outfit that says, "My Daddy Rocks"

Matt's aunt made us this AWESOME toy box!!! I sent her a picture of what I wanted and she worked wonders. This is the bottom of the box so you don't get the real effect but she wrote on the bottom, that's why it's flipped over. I'll post another pic once I have toys inside...I just have to clean them first! It's on my never ending to-do list...

And at the end of the day, this is what the nursery looked like! Packed to the brim!!! My mom and stepsis helped me sort and put things away so we'd actually have room for the baby in there.

It was a great day and I think I summed it up at the G-Fam shower by saying, "Matthew and I are truly blessed with this baby and this baby is already blessed to have each of you in his/her life." So many people are excited to meet Baby G!!! Thank you everyone!!!