One Year Ago

Ok, so I'm late with this, mostly because Reese decided that she couldn't wait for her own day and was delivered on our first wedding anniversary!  But I never did get around to blogging our wedding photos so I thought I would do a quick post with just a few of my favorite pictures while Reese is sleeping. 

So here are some photos to kind of walk you through the day:

Some day, I'll do a real post with details about the big day but for now, duty (or doody) calls! 

39 Weeks

Note: Reese was born 5/21 and is now one week old, but I couldn't resist finishing out the series!

Originally written 5/14:

To be honest, I never really thought I'd make it here.  I mean, I did in the beginning but the closer we got, the earlier I thought I would go.  I know that babies come when they want and she's got her reasons for being in there still, but I really hoped that I'd be able to say I had a baby by now!

Mother's Day was low key but C tried hard to make it a nice day for me.  He made me breakfast, and a really tasty dessert after dinner and wrote me a sweet card.  Other than that it was a pretty normal Sunday.

I'm a sucker and I'm still working but only for 2 more days.  I figured it was better than sitting around at home wondering when she'd decide to come out.  Of course, I have projects I could be working on.  I planned out my week so of course she'll come soon.  Addy did the same thing.  I thought I'd have all this time to do things so I spaced them out so I wouldn't over-do it and then I got 2 whole days.

I bought some wood to make growth charts (they'll look like this, but not nearly that good).  I bought paint for them and some decals to stick on and I'm hoping that it won't be too hard to do.

The hospital bag is packed and the car seat is all the way back together!  I think C is nervous that he'll be in class when it happens and he won't be able to get home right away but I think it will be ok.  I really hope its similar to Addy where it started at 3:30am and he stayed home with me for the day.

Hopfully this is the last one!

How far along?: 39 weeks
Total weight gain/loss:  Blargh, officially passed the 30lb mark but just barely!  I go on Wednesday and we'll see where I'm at then. 
The Bump:  It sure makes it hard to do normal things like putting lotion on my legs.  BUT, it has definitely dropped!
What I’m excited about/looking forward to: Just seeing her!
Maternity Clothes:  I actually wore a dress to work today (it's a big deal).  I also bought one pair of shorts & one pair of capris to wear this week, assuming I have time to wear them.
Symptoms: Even the heartburn hasn't been too bad!  Swollen for sure thoug.
Belly Button in or out?: In. I don't see this changing.
Food Cravings/Aversions: Nothing.  Seriously, there are things I like to eat but nothing that I simply HAVE TO HAVE.
What I miss: Sleeping comfortably still.  I got a new pillow and that helps but I wake up with a sore back and hips most of the time.
Milestones:  Any time now - LITERALLY!

Baby Reese

Well, I knew this would happen.  On Monday, May 21, I wrote my 40 week update lamenting all about how this baby was apparentely NEVER coming out and I was going to be pregnant forever.  I spoke to a friend that same morning and she tried to make me feel better.

I went to take a shower around 11am and figured I should shave my legs because "you never know" and maybe it would be the last time.  I had a contraction in the shower but didn't think much.  I got out of the shower and felt like something was coming out so I sat on the toilet, expecting my mucus plug which meant I had 1-3 days left to go.  Instead, I peed and then each time I shifted, more came out.  At first I figured I just hadn't emptied my bladder completely but then it kept going.  You guessed it, my water had broken!

At first, I wasn't sure what to do.  Everytime I moved more fluid came out.  I had no idea how to contain it.  I put a towel between my legs so I could grab some undies and then put in a pad, which I soaked through shortly.  Then I called C and told him to head home (he was surprisingly calm) and called my brother & SIL to tell them they'd have to pick up Addy from daycare.  Then I tried to figure out what to wear to the hospital that wouldn't be a problem to get ruined.  I also tried to figure out what to do with my wet hair since I knew it would be a while before I saw a shower again.

I also called my dr's office and told them then they called the hospital to make sure there was a bed available and told me that we were good to go!  I packed some extra things in our hospital bag and waited for C to get home.  I also laid down for a bit because I hadn't felt the baby move for a while (or maybe I didn't register it because I was panicking).

We got to the hospital around 1pm and they put me in a room and started checking me in.  I was GBS Positive so I knew I'd have an IV coming.  The doctor came in around 1:30 and checked me and I was only dialated to 2 1/2 and still not really having contractions (just random ones that weren't even uncomfortable).  She brought up pitocin, which I didn't really want, but said she'd let me go for a bit to see if my body kicked in.  Then it was IV time. 

C had left his wallet at school so he ran out to get it before things really started happening.  While he was gone they put in the IV.  The first needle hit something in my arm and bent (!) so they had to do it again.  I started to get faint and feel nauseated so they reclined the bed and got cool wash cloths and of course, that was when C walked in the room.  I yelled out immediately that I was ok.

After that we hung out for a bit.  At 4:30 they started pitocin.  I was worried because of all the stories I've heard but it wasn't so bad.  They started me on a very low drip, hoping that the chemical would "remind" my body that it had a job to do.  Contractions started slowly and C & I started doing laps around the maternity ward.

I started at 2 ml/something and they bumped me up to 4 after a while.  At 4, the contractions weren't totally painful, but I never came completely down from them.  I could handle the pain but I couldn't handle not having a break between them.  So they bumped it back down but my contractions kept coming, which was good.  It meant my body was taking over.  I made it through most of the contractions by leaning over the bed which was raised and swaying my hips while C rubbed my back. 

I had told them earlier that I would pretty much be demanding an epidural (I'm a wimp) so around 7:30 they told me that the doctor (I can't spell anesthesiologist) was up for another patient and did I want him to come see me?  I told them to put me on the list, scared that if I said no, he'd leave the hospital and it would be forever before I had another chance.  I still had to wait an hour before I saw him.

Once I got the epi, I laid in bed for the remainder.  Apparently, I'm one of those people that has a blocker in my spine that doesn't allow the epi to fully get to my right side.  I could still feel the contractions on the right, but they weren't as painful as they had been.  I had a clicker to up the doseage but I ended up only using it once.  The baby's heartrate also dropped after the epi so we had a scary 5 minutes while they rolled me from side to side and gave me oxygen.  It was fine after that.  Also, after the epi, I was dialated to a 7 but I had no idea how long it would take to get the rest of the way.

Around 10, the nurse checked me again and said that I was completely dialated but said she'd let me labor for a bit longer.  The epi had fully kicked in and I couldn't feel a single contraction.  I could just barely move my legs.  Finally, at 10:30 she said we'd start pushing.  She & C had to watch the monitor and tell me when to push because I literally couldn't tell if I was having contractions.

After about 35 minutes, she went to get the doctor because we were getting close.  The doctor came in a after a few pushes told me she was going to give me an episiomoty.  I had had one with Addy and she was worried about the degree of tearing since it was a "weak spot".  It was very quick and then she told me we were just going to do some light pushes so we didn't strain anything.  Then she looked down and said "never mind".  She told me that basically, my body was taking over (again) and the baby was coming out!

I actually sat up and watched as my baby girl came into the world.  I literally was not doing any pushing, it was amazing.  They got her out and put her right on my bare chest (I requested skin to skin right away) and she wailed.  We double-checked she was a girl and just reveled in our new daughter.  She was born at 11:17pm on 5/21 (our first wedding anniversary!) and weighed in at 8lbs even.  She was 20.5" long.

We're home now and doing pretty well.  Knock on wood, she had been good to us over the past few nights, sleeping in 3 hour stretches and waking only to eat.  We got some good awake time yesterday so I'm hoping that we won't have too many issues with the day & night confusion.

Theresa Lynn (both of our mothers' middle names) - but we are calling her Reese

Family picture

38 Weeks

Originally written 5/07:

How did we get to 38 weeks?  Seems so crazy.  I have one week of working left (give or take) and I ended up staying home today.  I caught a cold last week and we did too much this weekend and I am seriously worn out.  So even though the clock is ticking, for me its more important at this point to rest when I need it.

Having said that, I'm going to do some things today that I've been putting off.  Like, I need to buy a Big Sister present for Addy from Baby Sister that we'll take to the hospital with us.  I ordered a nursing gown/robe set today to take to the hospital.  I want to pack the hospital bag too since that needs to be done.

I have zero signs that we're close at all (no bloody show, no mucus plug, I don't even think she's dropped) but I'm still hopeful that she'll come early.  As of next week when work is done it's really just a waiting game.

How far along?: 38 weeks
Total weight gain/loss:  Last week's appointment was NO gain!  Yay!  However, after that I swelled up so bad and I don't know why.  Water retention is a serious issue now that we're in the end.  I have another appt. this week and I'll mention it because I was pre-ecclamptic last time and this could be a sign though my BP has been spot on this entire pregnancy.
The Bump:  Sometimes I forget just how big the bump is.  It's hard to do almost anything including just bending over.
What I’m excited about/looking forward to: Just seeing her!
Maternity Clothes:  Sorted through them since I won't be needing many work clothes after this week.  After this week I plan to live in t-shirts and capri pants.
Symptoms: Pretty much just heartburn.  It was horrible again yesterday.
Belly Button in or out?: In. I don't see this changing.
Food Cravings/Aversions: I don't seem to have either, in fact I would take a craving right now.  I'm having issues coming up with dinner ideas for the week.
What I miss: Sleeping comfortably.  I'm so tired but I don't feel like I'm actually getting that much rest.
Milestones:  Any time now!

The Waiting Game

As of Tuesday I finished working so now I'm at home, waiting for this baby to make her appearance.  I saw the doctor yesterday and at least I'm starting to dialate and efface but it's barely anything.  BUT, as C likes to point out, it is progression.

In order to not sit around a think about how she's apparently comfortable in there, I'm setting mini goals for myself each day.  Yesterday I saw the doctor, ran some errands, bought Addy's Big Sister present, and changed the sheets on our bed.  I also packed most of Addy's bag for her overnight stay.

Today I need to go to Michaels' and get the supplies to make C's anniversary gift (which you know, is only 4 days away - way to go me).  I also want to change Addy's sheets and clean out my car so I can install the car seat base.

Tomorrow, if it's still not happening, Addy and I are going to attend a playdate and spend a day together.  I think it will be nice for us to have a day together and hopefully I can keep up with her.  She and I will definitely need a nap that day!

36 Weeks

Originally written 4/23:

Holy crap, 36 weeks?!  Its taken forever to get here but also gone by so fast.  Our lives are never still so its no surprise that the past 36 weeks are kind of a blur.

After this week, she can come any time she wants to.  The earlier she comes, the more time I get with her before returning to work so you can believe that I'm almost ready to force her out.  Of course, I would never do anything unsafe and will probably never ask the doctor to induce.  She'll come when she's ready, I just hope it's early.

We had a productive weekend which I'm happy about.  When you get those things crossed off your list, you feel like you can relax.  We moved our "office" corner up to the guest room and set up "Baby Central" in the family room for when we're downstairs.  Now we have a pack n play and a swing in our family room.  C also hung up some art for me so the nursery has the prints up and he put up the other wedding shadowbox in the stairwell.

I also managed to get some freezer meals done and put away.  Our grocery bill was a little high this week but it will be worth it in the end if we're not eating out all the time.  We don't have many, but I'm hoping each weekend we can put together another 2-3 to build up a stockpile.  I should really be cooking extra dinner but things I typically make don't freeze so well.  I will say that making bagged crockpot meals and freezing them is SO much easier because there's no cooking involved.

Addy has been playing with pretend Baby Sister more and more.  She pretended to change her diaper and read her a story yesterday and it was SUPER cute.  I am optimistic that the transition won't be too difficult.

I got the car seat all cleaned up so that's off the list so all that's left to do is: pack bags, buy Addy a Big Sister present, buy some NB size diapers and set up a changing station in our bedroom for the first little bit.  That's not much!

How far along?:  36 weeks
Total weight gain/loss:  I don't know what's going on but I was up AGAIN at the doctor's office.  I thought I'd hold steady since I was eating less salt so hopefully retaining less water, but I gained another 3lbs bringing me up to +28lbs.  I'm not thinking about it (much) and I'm ignoring any signs of a double-chin.  So there.
The Bump:  One thing I don't think I've ever mentioned (bragged about) is that I have ZERO stretch marks!  Hoping to keep it that way for the short time we have left!
What I’m excited about/looking forward to:  Just having her.
Maternity Clothes:  Bought a few cheap maxi dresses and some capris for post-baby until I drop some of the weight.  They'll be good for summer.
Symptoms: I had incredible heartburn last week that is ok now.  That's the worst one by far.
Belly Button in or out?:  In. I don't see this changing.
Food Cravings/Aversions: Other than sweets, nothing to mention..
What I miss:  Sleeping through the night.  I'm not using the bathroom much but I wake up every few hours to roll over.  Oh, and I'm getting crazy hot at night too now.
Milestones:  We've entered the last month!

35 Weeks

Note: I'm trying to get caught up to my current week (37 weeks) so that when this baby comes I'm not still posting about being pregnant.  I'm only 2 weeks behind at this point!

Originally written 4/16:

It's so funny to be to be 4 weeks behind and see what I thought 4 weeks ago about being pregnant.  Its one of those things where you can't imagine being any bigger or more tired but then you get here and you look back and think, "What an idiot" about yourself.

I keep a journal for each of my girls that I try to write in periodically.  I'm not as good now as when I was pregnant with Addy, but I'm trying.  I used to write once a month, but that's turned in to every few months now.  I tell her what she's up to and what our family is doing and whatever else I think is important.  I started one for this baby and I've written a few times but I need to get on that.  I want to make sure I tell my girls how it felt being pregnant with each of them in case I'm not actually around.  I hate that I can't ask my mom things about her pregnancies.  All I can do is try to remember things she told me and compare this one to Addy's.

I've decided that I would love for this baby to come early (not too early, just a week or 2) because my start date for my new job is fixed, so I get more time if she comes early.  So I think in a few weeks I'll start walking a lot and eating fresh pineapple and spicy foods and I'll even try sex.  It probably won't make any difference, but I guess it can't hurt to try.

In actual baby news, we bought a coming home outfit this weekend.  I wanted her to have something new that wasn't a hand-me-down so we did some shopping.  We also got a freezer, so its time to start stocking that up.  We also took Addy to Big Sister class which was good, but I don't feel that she got *that* much out of it.  If she were older, it probably would have been useful.  But she did spend the weekend doing everything with her pretend "Baby Sister".  Seriously, we changed her diaper, Baby Sister got a new diaper too.  I brushed her hair, I had to brush Baby Sister's hair too.  I'm glad that she's starting to get excited about it.

How far along?:  35 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: I'm still thinking that I'm holding steady at 25lbs but we'll find out today.  I tried to avoid lots of salt this weekend and I drank SO much water.  My "cankles" seem to be better still so that's good.
The Bump: Totally out front, which is nice.  Its good to still have a waist (kind of).
What I’m excited about/looking forward to:  Finishing her stupid nursery.  I just have to hang a few things on the walls but its not happening.
Maternity Clothes:  It's chilly today so I got to wear a sweater I haven't worn yet.  When I'm done working in a few weeks, I'm going to pass a bunch of work clothes to my cousin.  She's about 3 months behind me.
Symptoms:  Mostly just tired.  I wanted a nap SO badly yesterday but didn't get one.  Oh, and I carried a heavy grocery bag and spent a few hours wishing I hadn't done that.
Belly Button in or out?:  In. I don't see this changing.
Food Cravings/Aversions:  Cravings SEEM to have subsided for the most part.  I still love ice cream and got a cone yesterday!
What I miss:  I miss being able to carry Addy like she wants me to.  It's so hard to tell her no.
Milestones:  In one more week if I were to go into labor they wouldn't stop it!