{Ahh..the little things}

preggo face

<---------  Just thought I'd change my picture since that other one was looking less & less like me everyday, LOLOL   :)

Is today the day??

No, there is nothing exciting going on that would make me think that.   BUT, spiritually, it may be very different...

Last week at MOPS (and then word spread to my Bible Study group) that I was ready to have this baby, but had to wait until after Sunday to have our little Ava.  I wanted to get through the kids' birthday party, and said that Monday would be a fine day to go into labor.  So, everyone decided that they should pray for Monday....Um, that is TODAY!!!  :) 

I was giggling about it yesterday to my family, but I do believe in the power of prayer and wonder how many people have/are praying for us today? 

Speaking of the party, it was C-R-A-Z-Y and I vow to NEVER EVER do a "together party" again!!

It was seriously chaotic, but of course the kids loved it, so I should not complain (but I did, LOL).  The SMALL pizza place booked another party 1/2 hour after ours started (with 40-45 people) so the place was packed and almost too busy to give good service...UGH!  There were LOTS of kiddos everywhere and people from the other party kept talking about me/to me about how after that party there was NO WAY I'd make it another two weeks  :)  I think they felt I was insane planning a party like that so far along in my pregnancy, but it just worked out that way this year, and I was okay with it.  I just wanted the kids to have a fun day, and they did.  They also both had  a friend spend the night Friday, so overall the weekend was GREAT!

Well, I started this post this AM, but had a Dr appt & Ellie's Halloween party to attend, so am just getting back to it.  It is now 5:11 PM, so I am thinking that the chances of having a baby today are slim :)  I am 3cm dialated & 70% effaced now though, so I am showing progress each week, which is good.

We are planning to FINALLY paint my tummy tonight & carve our last pumpikin & make more pumpkin seeds  :)  YUMMY!!   Trick or treat is tomorrow night, so hopefully I can get some good pics of the kids (unlike last year)...and make it through a night of lots of walking, LOL!  We are going down to my in-laws neighborhood where it is alot less busy streets, so I may end up passing out candy with them while Daddy does the walking ~ we'll see!

Have a Happy Halloween :)

what a day...

Yesterday started out pretty well, I was able to get everyone ready and out the door by 8:30.  We dropped K off to school, and E & Z and I went to church for my Bible study.  I had missed the last 2 weeks, so I spent the beginning explaining to everyone I was fine & had actually been feeling better the last few days (minus the continuing contractions!).

Well, about a half hour into our discussion group I started to feel a little short of breath, lightheaded & was seeing some spots or "flashes".  I quietly got up & called Harry and asked that he come get me & take me to the hospital to get ck'd out, thinking high blood pressure.  I've never had HBP, but I knew the syptoms matched, so I was VERY worried. 

Long story short, I get all hooked up to the monitors,  ck my BP a few times....NOTHING,  it was perfect.  I started getting a headache & the syptoms continued, but nothing was wrong anywhere.  They decide to still call the Dr to see what he has to say.   I laugh, and say "Sure, go call th Dr and tell him nothing is wrong with me!!"  I felt so silly, yet knew something just did not feel right.  Of course, she comes back after talking with him, and he says go home, rest, and drink lots of fluids.  Then follow up with him Friday or Monday, and I already had a Monday morning appt, so I was fine.

I did feel very tired after that, so I came home & napped, but still had the headache & was seeing spots off and on all afternoon after I woke up.  STRANGE...

Well, later in the evening Harry & I had an appt with our insurance agent and had a sitter lined up, so decided that we'd just keep the appt.  So, we go there, and about half way through I start contracting every three minutes!!  They were pretty strong & very regular, and I was getting worried that this was the real thing.  We had not eaten dinner yet, and they were still coming (yet tolerable) so we went to a quiet little coffe shop to get a little something. 

Something told me to call the sitter & let her know things had taken longer than expected and we'd be home soon.  She asks where the thermometer is...uh-oh...and says Zander fell asleep after dinner and woke up feeling very warm.  I wait on the phone, and it is 102.5 under the arm!!  Which, of course,  means that he has a temp of 103.5 and I am still contracting every three minutes, and we are a good 15-20 minutes from home!  So, we rush home because I know the poor sitter is probably freaking out, and we arrive home to her cuddling him on the couch with a cool rag on his head and gving him juice (neither of which did I suggest, so was proud how she handled things)!  He was just pretty lethargic, resting in her arms.   As the night progressed it went up to 104, but he slept well and woke up just fine this AM!?!  I am wondering if we'll get a surprise later tonight though and it will spike again (my kids have been know to do that) so, we'll see.

By bedtime, my contractions has slowed too, but still have not really stopped.  Such a strange day  it was!

I woke up today still with a headache & my mom called to tell me that her good friend had syptoms before like I had yesterday and that is was called a ophthalmic migraine.  I have read a few things & it sounds like she could be right, so later this afternoon I may do some internet research on it. 

But, I decided a few minutes ago to take some tylenol and go lay down, so that is where I am headed...off to the couch. 

My "baby" will be SEVEN

tomorrow!     I've not let myself think about it too much, but today as I was buying the cupcakes supplies for his FIRST GRADE class, I realized it. 

It has been SEVEN years since I gave birth to my first little baby, since I went into that L&D scared to death, but surrounded by SO many family and friends that they had to move the "crowd" out of the way of the nurses, LOL!  Seven years since I first knew what the love of a mother was like, and how it would change the relationship between his Daddy & I so much.  Seven years since we become PARENTS together!!  Seven years since we arrived HOME to our tiny one bedroom apartment, and HOME never felt so WONDERFUL as it did that day ~ WOW ~ where has the time gone?   

Look at that little guy (*sniff *) so tiny and fragile, it is hard to believe that is him when I look at him now.   

Here he is not too long ago all set up on the couch for Monday Night Football when he was SO excited to watch the Bengals together with his Daddy.    This was about 2 hours beforehand, and Daddy was not even home from work yet, LOL!  It was too cute :)

He is so grown up now, in fact we are already at a loss for birthday (and Christmas) gifts because he does not really play with toys anymore already!!  He'd much rather be outside playing football or in the woods with the neighbor boys.  He has a small handheld game that was handed down to him & he loves that too, but we decided long ago that we were not going to buy the game systems.    We know he'd LOVE to have one (started asking last Christmas already) but we'd rather he do other things with his time.  BUT now the problem seems...what?  LOL!    He does like to play with legos sometimes, and I am shocked to see him play cars with Zander now & then too, but toys just aren't his thing.  I am going to WalMart tonight for one more gift, so I am hoping to find something we do not have (like Magnetix maybe) that may intrest him ~ wish me luck!

We have a busy day planned tomorrow, so I doubt I'll post....but be thinking of me or send up a prayer that I make it through this BIG birthday without becoming a blubbering crazy Momma! 

a little bit of progress...

I went to the Dr today and I am progressing a little more, which is a good sign since I had alot of contractions last week.  I've also dropped alot & was feeling great yesterday.  I made a BIG pot of veggie soup and froze some for after baby meals.  I think in the next day or two,  I'll make some chili (can you tell it is getting COLD here ~ it may even SNOW tonight!?!?) and keep some of that too.  I've been too lazy to cook lately, but am SO tired of fast food.  I have Harry pick up food nearly 4 nights a week lately!!  That is SO bad.  I decided at this grocery trip, I may try to find some frozen meals that are tolerable and easy for us to make, as I am just not up to cooking very often.   Today I've had a horrible headache, so I am very glad we have leftovers in the fridge :)  No cooking for me tonight ~ woohoo!

I have not been scrapping lately, but did take this picture a couple of weeks ago.  I had taken one with Zander & everyone (including me!!) loved it, so I decided to do it again.  I had to do alot of  lightening/retouching this time due to LOTS more stretch marks and the horrible RASH all over my tummy...ugh!

So anyway, here are the new stats:

• 2-3 cm (she said a GOOD 2cm)
• 40%  effaced
• measuring 39 cm (37 weeks)

I am also having some "different" contractions today that are going through to my back.  I am already tired of wishfully thinking that I am going into labor after the week I had last week, so am trying to just ignore them as best I can.  Of course, I found this cool on-line contraction timer   http://www.contractionmaster.com/  so I am having trouble not playing around with it when they do come.

I was also REALLY hoping I would get lucky & she would come early, but now this week I feel differently because Kaden's birthday is Wednesday.  I really do not want her to come on his birthday, and we have the kids' party on Sunday of this week too.  So I keep telling myself she just CAN'T come until Monday... as if it works that way. 

Now that I am feeling it would be a bad time to go into labor, I probably will  :)

Carseat has arrived!!

The other day I received an e-mail about the carseat I had ordered & decided to track the pkg (I've never done that before).  Well, yesterday it said that it left our post office for delivery at 5 AM, so I knew it would arrive at some point throughout the day.  I told Ellie & Zander, and they were just as excited as I was to get her carseat, LOL!  We had the door open so that we could watch for the UPS guy all morning, and when that big brown truck pulled up, I yelled "it's here!"

They came running, opened the screen door and nearly ran the guy off the front porch!!  Because it was slightly rainy, and I am sure that he noticed my HUGE belly (LOL) he offered to bring it into the house, yet could not get past my exctited little ones.  Too funny  :)

Of course we opened right away & had to try it out with one of each of thier babies, which caused a fight because they each wanted to carry it around with babies on tow.  Finally I had to put it up into the crib (with all of her other things they will NOT LEAVE ALONE), and I am beginning to see what life will be like with Ava!  She will have to be in the crib at all times so that she will be left alone by the two of them....ugh. 

I hope I am wrong, and that they are just excited, but her things are already all over the house, and her room usually a mess.  She shares with Ellie already, so that "dream nursery" feeling is just not there, plus when you add blankets scattered all over the floor (of course with babies wrapped in them) and one little slipper here, and a pacifier there, it gets a little upsetting!  Like I said, I know they are just excited, so I just pick it all up without complaining (usually, LOL) but I just hope things get better, and she can join us peacefully and visitors can see a clean room at least the first time they visit her here at home...LMAO!

Now...can I complain again real quick??

Okay, Since my exam on Tuesday I was having more Braxton Hicks contractions, which I knew were just from the exam, and just "ignored".  Well, then Wednesday they continued and yesterday they increased to BH all day & real ones every 3-4 time.  I laid on the couch literally all day & drank planty of liquids, etc and they still kept coming as little as 5 min apart, and never much more than 10-15 min between any of them.

So, I go to bed and can sleep until the painful ones come (maybe 1-2 hour?) and then by morning I notice I have slept a little longer a few times and that I no longer feel the painful ones.

BLAH...I was convinced I was in early labor & now am just let down!!  THREE DAYS of contractions..and they just stop?? 

This little lady is in BIG trouble when she shows her cute little face

getting started :)

Well, at least a little started, LOL! 

I am now 36 weeks along and starting to dialate just a little (1-2cm) and am about 20% thinned out!!  YAY  :)

I know that for many people that is not too encouraging, but knowing that I still have 27 days to go I think any progress is good progress!  I have been having contractions again since my appt yesterday, but know that is probably due to the internal exam.  Hubby was freaking out on me last night because his parents left today for a few days, and they are our "babysitters" while I am in the hospital.  He  also needs to finish up a job this week, and really wants to be a ble to stay home with me for the first week.  So, he was convinced because of the contractions that she is coming in the next few days while he is busy, parents are away, and the carseat is not here yet, LOL!  Men are SO funny :)

The other night we carved one of our MANY pumpkins with the kids & baked the seeds (yummmm!)  We are trying to wait a while to carve the rest because we want them to last until trick or treat, which is not until the 31st this year. 

The kids have been dying to carve another, so today I let them paint thier little pumpkins.  It was lots of FUN, but a huge mess!

We had told them at some point that they could paint my belly like a pumpkin.  We are thinking we will be doing it tonight, so I'll post  pics tomorrow if we do!  This is my third fall pregnancy, and we have never done it...so why not??

Okay, I gotta run!  Hubby is on his way home with my requested/craved pumpkin cappuccino...YUM!

on a lighter note

I ordered this today (FINALLY!!!) hope it arrives before Ava, LOLOLOL!

thoughts on labor

*ignore this post if you do not want to hear details of the birth stories of my three children* 

LOL, I am just thinking through them & thought it would help to get it all out of my head, as well as post thoughts on my up & coming birth as well...

Kaden Miles 10/99

• went into L&D with regular "cramps" at 2:00 pm
• I was 37.5 weeks pg
• was either 3/5 cms (can't remember which child was which, LOL)
• Dr started pitocin to get things going & I asked for something for pain (DID NOT WANT EPIDURAL)
• I got a shot of stadol
• pushed for 1/2 hours (UGH!!!)
• Dr used vaccuum extraction & he had cord around neck
• Kaden was born 1:09 am & was slow to cry
• I was unable to hold him for a bout 1/2 hour

Ellie Elizabeth 11/01

• went in with managable contractions at 8 pm
• I was 3 days late
• I was 3/5 cms dialated
• Dr gave pitocin again
• I got nubane (still did not want epidural)
• pushed again for 1.5 hours (UGH!!!)
• 1:37 am she was born healthy & screaming
• placed right onto my chest  :)  AWESOME

Zander Cole 7/04  (new Dr for this pg)

• went in on a Friday night at 7:30 for induction about 1.5 weeks early due to PUPPS
• got cervidil about 9:30pm
• epidural at 4-5 am
• pushed four 1.5 hours AGAIN...UGH
• he was born at 11:39am with cord tight around neck (needed cut before he was all the way out)
• he was slow to cry, but healthy - took awhile for them to bring him back over to me :(

The reason that I am thinking all of this through is the fact that when I got pg the first time, I read EVERYTHING I could and wanted to do natural birth.  For me, that really only meant no induction & no epidural (I was more scared of that needle than the pain, LOL!!).  I did not know much about pitocin until AFTER I had it twice & heard lots of horrible/dangerous stories about the major contractions and pain that it brings.  For me, I just thought that was normal labor since it was all I knew, and the fact that I had it twice with no epidural. 

Well, then came the #3 pg and the unbearable itch of PUPPS...when Dr even muttered the word "induction" I jumped on it, I was SO ready to not be pg (or itchy anymore)!  Plus, I did NOT want to be late again, even three days seemes like forever.  So, I went in with completely different expectations, and since I thought it would most likely be my last baby I was going to try the epidural too.  The induction labor was just about as short as the others were (WITHOUT pitocin) and by getting the epidural, I really was much less exhausted.

Now I am thinking about how each baby tends to get bigger (for me they were 6.7lbs, 7.8lbs, and 8lbs) and with my kiddos HUGE heads (14.5 in, 14 in & 15 in) it is no wonder that the worst part of labor for me is the pushing, not the pain of contractions!!  *just for reference, if you measure around a 10cm circle it is only 12.5 inches!!*  And, I have PUPPS again, but because it is not summer and so hot (??) it does not seems near as bad as last time (THANK GOD!)

Anyway, I can not help but wonder if I have the option for induction again if I should take it??  Or should I wait it out, go to the hospital in labor and try no drugs/no pitocin??  This is FOR SURE my last baby, and I wonder if I'll someday look back and wish that I could have done it ALL NATURAL just once??  All of my births so far have been quick, but has that been due to pitocin?  The third was fast too, but was it because the epidural relaxed me??  The two boys were the scariest as they took longer to cry, but I see no connection to the drugs (epidural/stadol), as it seemed to be the cord causing problems both times.  I had a shot of drugs with Ellie & she was GREAT, I LOVED her birth. 

Hmmm....lots to think about!  Any advice??

Beyond inspiring

I saw this video one week in church a while back, but was thrilled to get it in an e-mail so I could post and share it :)

Grab your kleenex & enjoy ~ this man is AMAZING & INSPIRING!!

http://cjcphoto.com/can/