September 7, 2010
The night before I had an odd dream that I took a pregnancy test and it showed up with 3 lines, indicating I wasn't just pregnant, I was DEFINITELY pregnant. I took this as a sign to go ahead and buy a pregnancy test. Once I got to work, I took the test as quickly as I could get away from my boss's obligatory morning converation, and there it was on the digital display. I was elated and panicked all at the same time. Elated, because maybe I would get to have a baby of my own. Panicked, because I wasn't sure I could emotionally handle another failed pregnancy. We decided to keep this one quiet until after we'd had the Nuchal Translucency scan and knew the baby would be healthy and alive. I took another test when I got home, just to be sure. It gave the same response. I wanted to call my parents so badly, as they'd been so excited the first time around, and so supportive through the loss, but I didn't want to put them through another possible loss, so we kept it to ourselves.
September 8, 2010
Had to wake up at 3:00 am and eat some yogurt, then was starving at 6:30 am when I woke up for the day. This pattern continued for the next 8 months. This baby made me hungry!
September 12, 2010
My 30th birthday was celebrated with my parents and Grandmother at a restaurant in Pendleton. I was worried that my dad would notice me not having a beer, but no one said anything. It was hard to keep it quiet, but I managed to do so.
September 13, 2010
This day was my first bout of morning sickness. It wasn't too bad, as it was just a bit of mild queasiness. But my oh my, was that to change.
September 21, 2010
WHAM! The morning sickness hit, hard. At 4:00 I had to struggle downstairs to get some crackers to quell the nausea. Considering I never felt this way with Baby #1, I took this as a good sign that things were progressing appropriately. Also, even though I was only about a month along at this point, I was unable to fully button a button-down shirt.
September 22. 2010
I did a very bad thing and went and bought maternity pants. At 1 month. Yeah.
September 24, 2010
This was our first appointment with the OB. The news was so overwhelmingly good I could hardly process it. Elizabeth looked perfect on the ultrasound. She was measuring exactly 6 weeks 2 days, just as I had calculated. Her heartbeat was a robust 123 bpm, which I was initially worried was low, but at 6 weeks 90 – 110 is normal, so she was overachieving even then! Her yolk sac was 3 mm, way under the worrisome 6 mm threshold, which was our first sign something was wrong with Baby #1.
September 25, 2010
This was one of the worst days in terms of morning sickness. I was so sick, I could barely get out of bed. I felt even worse when my Dad called to say "hi", and I was clearly not right on the phone. A few hours later my mom called to see if they'd upset me or something. I couldn't tell them the truth, because we were waiting until it was safe to share the news. So, I just had to tell her that I was fine and just "tired". I'm a terrible liar, though.
September 29, 2010
Enter heartburn. This was to become my daily nemesis until I delivered Elizabeth. I found one of the worst triggers for heartburn was iced tea, due to the caffiene content. Giving up iced tea was nearly as challenging as giving up beer.
September 30, 2010
Got some bad news from the Doctor. Apparently, my Progesterone levels were too low. They were at a 14.2, and they needed to be above a 20 to be able to sustain the pregnancy to the 14 week mark. I made the mistake of consulting Dr. Google, which said all sorts of terrible things about low Progerstone levels. And even more scary things (cleft palate, etc.) about Progesterone supplements. But, the choice of a risk of a baby with a cleft palate or no baby at all is a pretty clear one. So, I picked up my Progesterone supplements from the pharmacy that afternoon, and diligently took them twice a day until the 14 week mark, when the placenta begins to take over.
October 4, 2010
Colds are pretty awful when you are pregnant and can't take anything for them. However, this morning I woke up and noticed my belly had taken on a distinct conical shape. At the 8 week mark with Baby #1, nothing of the sort had taken place. So, I took this as a good sign that Baby #2 was growing appropriately.
October 5, 2010
Back to the doctor to have more blood drawn to check on the Progesterone levels.
October 6, 2010
The Progesterone levels were at 30! Had a brief spell of dizziness at dinner. Haven't gained a single pound, but my body was definitely changing shape.
October 12, 2010
My worst nausea day at all. So bad I had to stay home from work. Fortunately, Tommy had me try some Sea Bands I'd bought for our last cruise, and they worked! They really took the edge off of the sickness. They're not very subtle or fashionable, but they kept the nausea at a manageable level.
October 13, 2010
This was the 9 week mark of the pregnancy. We had lost Baby #1 at 9 weeks + 1 day, so I was a bit worried, as you can imagine. I was laying in bed, pondering on all things bigger than myself, when I felt two little twitches inside. It was her. No medical journal will agree with me, but in my heart of hearts I know it was her. It was the same feeling I then had for all the other weeks to come (only much gentler and more subtle). It let me know everything was going to be okay. It was the most amazing feeling in the world. And I'll never forget what it felt like. It was a feeling that made me whole, that patched up the tear in my heart that the loss of Baby #1 had left. I was going to be a mother, and I'd never felt more connected to anyone or anything than I did in that moment.
October 16, 2010
The movement continued. A lot.
October 17, 2010
We had the burial of ashes ceremony for Baby #1. It was a community ceremony, with the ashes of so many lost babies all buried at the same time. It was tough, but so much easier because we had a new life growing. It wouldn't have been bearable otherwise. I wasn't able to invite my parents, because I was definitely starting to show at this point, and had to keep everything under wraps for 2 more weeks. So, that was hard.
October 20, 2010
Woke up and felt...normal! Even took the seasickness bands off and no more nausea!
October 22, 2010
Went to the doctor today and got an ultrasound. Elizabeth was measuring ahead, at 10 weeks + 4 days, even though she was only 10 weeks + 2 days. Healthy, happy, thriving baby. Dr. West gave us the okay to share the news, since she felt confident everything was fine. So, we called both sets of parents and told them, as well as telling the O'Dells and the Terrys.
October 23, 2010
Went to Buy Buy Baby to register for gifts. A fun, but exhausting 4-hour ordeal. But, we had done lots of research so we had a pretty good idea of what we would need and what wasn't really necessary.
October 24, 2010
Today I hosted the baby shower for Rachel Terry. Allison knew, but no one else did. As if my maternity jeans and oversized sweater didn't give it away. But, if anyone suspected anything, no one mentioned it. Got heartburn from water. And more baby wiggling around.
November 1, 2010
Threw up for the first (and only) time of the pregnancy. Had the Nuchal Translucency scan at 3:00. I felt remarkably at peace with whatever the outcome would be. The scan itself looked great (normal measurements all around), but we planned on waiting for the blood results before sharing the news with the world. Went to the Monday Night Football game, which was tough since I'd been up since 4:00 am that morning.
November 2, 2010
After getting the NT scan photo at the appointment on Monday, I had posted it on a website where Ultrasound Techs and Reproductive Specialists will have a look to predict the gender. Nearly 20 weighed in, 100% saying girl. Now, we had originally wanted a boy. But once I got the news from so many folks, I was immediately in love with the idea of having a baby girl. At this point, we were thinking about naming a girl Lauren. We went back and forth for a few weeks before settling on Elizabeth. I stayed home from work today because I had a terrible cold (#2 of the pregnancy) and was dead tired from the football game.
November 3. 2010
The beginning of the second trimester. We made it! We also got the call that she only had 1/2900 odds for having Down's Syndrome or other trisomy/chromosomal issues. I liked those odds. So, we broke the news. Of course, everyone was excited and supportive, but I had kind of grown to like keeping it a secret. So, we decided we were going to keep the fact she was a girl a secret until her delivery. There are so few good suprises in life, we wanted to give our families the biggest surprise of them all.
November 5, 2010
Wiggly wiggly worm.
November 8, 2010
Gained 4 pounds by now.
November 13 - 19, 2010
We went to Jamaica for our last vacation before Elizabeth's arrival. Had a wonderful time relaxing and exploring, although I couldn't do any really fun excursions (dolphin swimming, hang gliding, Dunn's River Falls), it was still a great trip.
November 22, 2010
Got back into work from vacation, and had a surprising text message from Jason Terry that Allison was having Rachel right then and there. I dropped everything and raced to the hospital. Rachel was very early - 35 weeks and 2 days, and weighed 4 pounds, 7 ounces - but was doing well regardless. In the afternoon, we had our monthly appointment and got to hear a healthy, happy heartbeat again. Also, at this time I had decided I liked the name Julia better than Lauren.
November 29, 2010
Around 2:00 in the afternoon I started having some painful cramps, so I called the doctor as a precaution. She told me to take it easy, and to go in the next morning for an ultrasound just in case.
November 30, 2010
We got absolute confirmation it was a girl, no doubt about it. Clear as day.
December 6, 2010
Daddy suggested we name her Elizabeth. I loved it. End of discussion.
December 7, 2010
Decided on Linh for a middle name.
December 8, 2010
Daddy felt a kick for the first time.
December 12, 2010
Got the nursery furniture picked out and ordered. Even though I despise Babies 'R Us, they have the best furniture by far. Also invested in a pump, because the idea of a used pump squicks me out. Still does.
December 15, 2010
Had a terrible dream that some man tried to cut my belly open to take the baby from me.
December 17, 2010
Had the anatomy scan today. Everything looked great, for the most part. However, because she wouldn't cooperate and give a clear view of her back and neck, Dr. West couldn't sign off as 100% certain there were no neural tube defects. The good news is this meant we'd get yet another ultrasound at 28 weeks. The bad news is I'd have to stress out until then. Also, the ultrasound revealed a possible posterior accessory lobe, which could detatch during labor and delivery, cauing fetal death and maternal haemmoraging. Dr. West recommended a c-section to circumvent this risk. Sounded good to me.
December 20, 2010
Noticed a pattern that Elizabeth would wake up and be quite active after I'd had breakfast, then go to sleep, then wake up again from after lunch (about 11:30) until 4:00 or so.
December 27, 2010
Belly button growing more shallow.
December 29, 2010
The night before I had an odd dream that I took a pregnancy test and it showed up with 3 lines, indicating I wasn't just pregnant, I was DEFINITELY pregnant. I took this as a sign to go ahead and buy a pregnancy test. Once I got to work, I took the test as quickly as I could get away from my boss's obligatory morning converation, and there it was on the digital display. I was elated and panicked all at the same time. Elated, because maybe I would get to have a baby of my own. Panicked, because I wasn't sure I could emotionally handle another failed pregnancy. We decided to keep this one quiet until after we'd had the Nuchal Translucency scan and knew the baby would be healthy and alive. I took another test when I got home, just to be sure. It gave the same response. I wanted to call my parents so badly, as they'd been so excited the first time around, and so supportive through the loss, but I didn't want to put them through another possible loss, so we kept it to ourselves.
September 8, 2010
Had to wake up at 3:00 am and eat some yogurt, then was starving at 6:30 am when I woke up for the day. This pattern continued for the next 8 months. This baby made me hungry!
September 12, 2010
My 30th birthday was celebrated with my parents and Grandmother at a restaurant in Pendleton. I was worried that my dad would notice me not having a beer, but no one said anything. It was hard to keep it quiet, but I managed to do so.
September 13, 2010
This day was my first bout of morning sickness. It wasn't too bad, as it was just a bit of mild queasiness. But my oh my, was that to change.
September 21, 2010
WHAM! The morning sickness hit, hard. At 4:00 I had to struggle downstairs to get some crackers to quell the nausea. Considering I never felt this way with Baby #1, I took this as a good sign that things were progressing appropriately. Also, even though I was only about a month along at this point, I was unable to fully button a button-down shirt.
September 22. 2010
I did a very bad thing and went and bought maternity pants. At 1 month. Yeah.
September 24, 2010
This was our first appointment with the OB. The news was so overwhelmingly good I could hardly process it. Elizabeth looked perfect on the ultrasound. She was measuring exactly 6 weeks 2 days, just as I had calculated. Her heartbeat was a robust 123 bpm, which I was initially worried was low, but at 6 weeks 90 – 110 is normal, so she was overachieving even then! Her yolk sac was 3 mm, way under the worrisome 6 mm threshold, which was our first sign something was wrong with Baby #1.
September 25, 2010
This was one of the worst days in terms of morning sickness. I was so sick, I could barely get out of bed. I felt even worse when my Dad called to say "hi", and I was clearly not right on the phone. A few hours later my mom called to see if they'd upset me or something. I couldn't tell them the truth, because we were waiting until it was safe to share the news. So, I just had to tell her that I was fine and just "tired". I'm a terrible liar, though.
September 29, 2010
Enter heartburn. This was to become my daily nemesis until I delivered Elizabeth. I found one of the worst triggers for heartburn was iced tea, due to the caffiene content. Giving up iced tea was nearly as challenging as giving up beer.
September 30, 2010
Got some bad news from the Doctor. Apparently, my Progesterone levels were too low. They were at a 14.2, and they needed to be above a 20 to be able to sustain the pregnancy to the 14 week mark. I made the mistake of consulting Dr. Google, which said all sorts of terrible things about low Progerstone levels. And even more scary things (cleft palate, etc.) about Progesterone supplements. But, the choice of a risk of a baby with a cleft palate or no baby at all is a pretty clear one. So, I picked up my Progesterone supplements from the pharmacy that afternoon, and diligently took them twice a day until the 14 week mark, when the placenta begins to take over.
October 4, 2010
Colds are pretty awful when you are pregnant and can't take anything for them. However, this morning I woke up and noticed my belly had taken on a distinct conical shape. At the 8 week mark with Baby #1, nothing of the sort had taken place. So, I took this as a good sign that Baby #2 was growing appropriately.
October 5, 2010
Back to the doctor to have more blood drawn to check on the Progesterone levels.
October 6, 2010
The Progesterone levels were at 30! Had a brief spell of dizziness at dinner. Haven't gained a single pound, but my body was definitely changing shape.
October 12, 2010
My worst nausea day at all. So bad I had to stay home from work. Fortunately, Tommy had me try some Sea Bands I'd bought for our last cruise, and they worked! They really took the edge off of the sickness. They're not very subtle or fashionable, but they kept the nausea at a manageable level.
October 13, 2010
This was the 9 week mark of the pregnancy. We had lost Baby #1 at 9 weeks + 1 day, so I was a bit worried, as you can imagine. I was laying in bed, pondering on all things bigger than myself, when I felt two little twitches inside. It was her. No medical journal will agree with me, but in my heart of hearts I know it was her. It was the same feeling I then had for all the other weeks to come (only much gentler and more subtle). It let me know everything was going to be okay. It was the most amazing feeling in the world. And I'll never forget what it felt like. It was a feeling that made me whole, that patched up the tear in my heart that the loss of Baby #1 had left. I was going to be a mother, and I'd never felt more connected to anyone or anything than I did in that moment.
October 16, 2010
The movement continued. A lot.
October 17, 2010
We had the burial of ashes ceremony for Baby #1. It was a community ceremony, with the ashes of so many lost babies all buried at the same time. It was tough, but so much easier because we had a new life growing. It wouldn't have been bearable otherwise. I wasn't able to invite my parents, because I was definitely starting to show at this point, and had to keep everything under wraps for 2 more weeks. So, that was hard.
October 20, 2010
Woke up and felt...normal! Even took the seasickness bands off and no more nausea!
October 22, 2010
Went to the doctor today and got an ultrasound. Elizabeth was measuring ahead, at 10 weeks + 4 days, even though she was only 10 weeks + 2 days. Healthy, happy, thriving baby. Dr. West gave us the okay to share the news, since she felt confident everything was fine. So, we called both sets of parents and told them, as well as telling the O'Dells and the Terrys.
October 23, 2010
Went to Buy Buy Baby to register for gifts. A fun, but exhausting 4-hour ordeal. But, we had done lots of research so we had a pretty good idea of what we would need and what wasn't really necessary.
October 24, 2010
Today I hosted the baby shower for Rachel Terry. Allison knew, but no one else did. As if my maternity jeans and oversized sweater didn't give it away. But, if anyone suspected anything, no one mentioned it. Got heartburn from water. And more baby wiggling around.
November 1, 2010
Threw up for the first (and only) time of the pregnancy. Had the Nuchal Translucency scan at 3:00. I felt remarkably at peace with whatever the outcome would be. The scan itself looked great (normal measurements all around), but we planned on waiting for the blood results before sharing the news with the world. Went to the Monday Night Football game, which was tough since I'd been up since 4:00 am that morning.
November 2, 2010
After getting the NT scan photo at the appointment on Monday, I had posted it on a website where Ultrasound Techs and Reproductive Specialists will have a look to predict the gender. Nearly 20 weighed in, 100% saying girl. Now, we had originally wanted a boy. But once I got the news from so many folks, I was immediately in love with the idea of having a baby girl. At this point, we were thinking about naming a girl Lauren. We went back and forth for a few weeks before settling on Elizabeth. I stayed home from work today because I had a terrible cold (#2 of the pregnancy) and was dead tired from the football game.
November 3. 2010
The beginning of the second trimester. We made it! We also got the call that she only had 1/2900 odds for having Down's Syndrome or other trisomy/chromosomal issues. I liked those odds. So, we broke the news. Of course, everyone was excited and supportive, but I had kind of grown to like keeping it a secret. So, we decided we were going to keep the fact she was a girl a secret until her delivery. There are so few good suprises in life, we wanted to give our families the biggest surprise of them all.
November 5, 2010
Wiggly wiggly worm.
November 8, 2010
Gained 4 pounds by now.
November 13 - 19, 2010
We went to Jamaica for our last vacation before Elizabeth's arrival. Had a wonderful time relaxing and exploring, although I couldn't do any really fun excursions (dolphin swimming, hang gliding, Dunn's River Falls), it was still a great trip.
November 22, 2010
Got back into work from vacation, and had a surprising text message from Jason Terry that Allison was having Rachel right then and there. I dropped everything and raced to the hospital. Rachel was very early - 35 weeks and 2 days, and weighed 4 pounds, 7 ounces - but was doing well regardless. In the afternoon, we had our monthly appointment and got to hear a healthy, happy heartbeat again. Also, at this time I had decided I liked the name Julia better than Lauren.
November 29, 2010
Around 2:00 in the afternoon I started having some painful cramps, so I called the doctor as a precaution. She told me to take it easy, and to go in the next morning for an ultrasound just in case.
November 30, 2010
We got absolute confirmation it was a girl, no doubt about it. Clear as day.
December 6, 2010
Daddy suggested we name her Elizabeth. I loved it. End of discussion.
December 7, 2010
Decided on Linh for a middle name.
December 8, 2010
Daddy felt a kick for the first time.
December 12, 2010
Got the nursery furniture picked out and ordered. Even though I despise Babies 'R Us, they have the best furniture by far. Also invested in a pump, because the idea of a used pump squicks me out. Still does.
December 15, 2010
Had a terrible dream that some man tried to cut my belly open to take the baby from me.
December 17, 2010
Had the anatomy scan today. Everything looked great, for the most part. However, because she wouldn't cooperate and give a clear view of her back and neck, Dr. West couldn't sign off as 100% certain there were no neural tube defects. The good news is this meant we'd get yet another ultrasound at 28 weeks. The bad news is I'd have to stress out until then. Also, the ultrasound revealed a possible posterior accessory lobe, which could detatch during labor and delivery, cauing fetal death and maternal haemmoraging. Dr. West recommended a c-section to circumvent this risk. Sounded good to me.
December 20, 2010
Noticed a pattern that Elizabeth would wake up and be quite active after I'd had breakfast, then go to sleep, then wake up again from after lunch (about 11:30) until 4:00 or so.
December 27, 2010
Belly button growing more shallow.
December 29, 2010
December 31, 2010
Doppler device came in the mail, so I can hear her heartbeat whenever I want. I like constant reassurance.
January 11, 2011
Wake up call this morning was some emphatic kicking from within. Had an entire can of Coke Zero and NO HEARTBURN!
January 14, 2011
Monthly doctor's visit. No ultrasound. Everything appears to be fine.
January 15, 2011
Grandma and Grandpa Vail came over to help with the nursery, and Grandma got to hear the heartbeat on the Doppler device. It felt so good to be able to share that with her.
January 19, 2011
Grandma and Grandpa delivered all the furniture, and put all the trim up in the nursery.
January 24, 2011
Fried foods = heartburn.
January 27, 2011
This morning Elizabeth was so cleary curled up right under my belly button. I could feel her shape so distinctly. Very cool. We had the carpets cleaned, so we were finally unable to unpack some of the furniture. I have never seen so much cardboard in my life.
January 28, 2011
Doppler device came in the mail, so I can hear her heartbeat whenever I want. I like constant reassurance.
January 11, 2011
Wake up call this morning was some emphatic kicking from within. Had an entire can of Coke Zero and NO HEARTBURN!
January 14, 2011
Monthly doctor's visit. No ultrasound. Everything appears to be fine.
January 15, 2011
Grandma and Grandpa Vail came over to help with the nursery, and Grandma got to hear the heartbeat on the Doppler device. It felt so good to be able to share that with her.
January 19, 2011
Grandma and Grandpa delivered all the furniture, and put all the trim up in the nursery.
January 24, 2011
Fried foods = heartburn.
January 27, 2011
This morning Elizabeth was so cleary curled up right under my belly button. I could feel her shape so distinctly. Very cool. We had the carpets cleaned, so we were finally unable to unpack some of the furniture. I have never seen so much cardboard in my life.
January 28, 2011
January 30, 2011
Feeling your baby move from the inside is one thing. Watching your baby move from the outside is something else entirely.
February 5, 2011
Pre-natal massages are good.
February 7, 2011
Worst heartburn ever. So bad that even milk and Rolaids did nothing to quell it. Threw up in my mouth a bit, it was so awful. Agony.
February 11, 2011
Glucose screen day. Drink the thick, nasty sweet goop. Wait one hour. Blood draw. It was worth it though, as we got another ultrasound that afternoon, and the good news that her neural tube looked fine and healthy. Hooray! Also, there wasn't any indication that there was actually a placenta issue, and a c-section wouldn't be necessary. We also got a really good look at a very pretty little perfect face.
Feeling your baby move from the inside is one thing. Watching your baby move from the outside is something else entirely.
February 5, 2011
Pre-natal massages are good.
February 7, 2011
Worst heartburn ever. So bad that even milk and Rolaids did nothing to quell it. Threw up in my mouth a bit, it was so awful. Agony.
February 11, 2011
Glucose screen day. Drink the thick, nasty sweet goop. Wait one hour. Blood draw. It was worth it though, as we got another ultrasound that afternoon, and the good news that her neural tube looked fine and healthy. Hooray! Also, there wasn't any indication that there was actually a placenta issue, and a c-section wouldn't be necessary. We also got a really good look at a very pretty little perfect face.
February 14, 2011
Gained 18 pounds thus far.
February 16, 2011
We made it to the third trimester!
February 18, 2011
Made an Ikea run to get a rug for the nursery and a bunch of other stuff for the house.
Gained 18 pounds thus far.
February 16, 2011
We made it to the third trimester!
February 18, 2011
Made an Ikea run to get a rug for the nursery and a bunch of other stuff for the house.
February 21, 2011
Elizabeth moved non-stop from 7:00 am to 2:30 pm. Wow.
February 22, 2011
A terrible day. Had an awful cold (#3 of the pregnancy), worked 11.5 hours without a break for lunch, slept a total of 4 hours.
February 23, 2011
Had to be at work at 6:30 am. On 4 hours of sleep. Whilst sick. And having worked 11.5 hours yesterday. My boss at the time, who doesn' t have any children of her own and thusly has never been pregnant, had no clue what I was going through.
February 24, 2011
Went for my monthly appointment. My blood pressure was elevated, surprise surprise, due to the fact I was sick and stressed out from work. So, I got put on bed rest for a week! It was awesome.
February 25, 2011
This was Baby #1's due date. I didn't feel as sad as I thought I would, though, because I had my wiggly healthy Liz reminding me she was with me and would be joining us soon.
March 2, 2011
Had a non-stress test to be released back to work. Everything checked out great, so I went back into the office to say goodbye to my boss, who had just been fired. I can't help but think that the visible distress I had been in the prior week, and her poor management of the situation, might have been the straw that broke the camel's back from a "people management" perspective.
March 3, 2011
Daddy got the blinds and shelf hung in the nursery.
March 12, 2011
Started installing the crown moulding. What a job. Daddy kept prodding me to get my hospital bag packed. I ignored him.
March 15, 2011
Got the 3-D ultrasound pictures taken. It was so cool to be able to see her face.
March 17, 2011
Had a little bit of arun-in with a table at work this morning. A corner went right onto the left side of my abdomen, where her head has been residing. I wouldn't have thought too much of it, except for the fact that I then didn't feel her move for a few hours. My boss was concerned, so she asked me to go to the hospital to get it checked out. I happily went, because I wanted to be sure Elizabeth was okay. Well, she was, but apparently I was also experiencing pre-term labor. Believe me, I had no idea! So, I got my first overnight in the hospital. Hooked up to monitors and IVs isn't fun, but it gave me a rough idea of what to expect when the real thing happened. And, I got the next day off of work :o) And, we got confirmation, from the very detailed ultrasound that I received, that Elizabeth was to be born with a full head of hair.
March 18, 2011
Had a little bit of arun-in with a table at work this morning. A corner went right onto the left side of my abdomen, where her head has been residing. I wouldn't have thought too much of it, except for the fact that I then didn't feel her move for a few hours. My boss was concerned, so she asked me to go to the hospital to get it checked out. I happily went, because I wanted to be sure Elizabeth was okay. Well, she was, but apparently I was also experiencing pre-term labor. Believe me, I had no idea! So, I got my first overnight in the hospital. Hooked up to monitors and IVs isn't fun, but it gave me a rough idea of what to expect when the real thing happened. And, I got the next day off of work :o) And, we got confirmation, from the very detailed ultrasound that I received, that Elizabeth was to be born with a full head of hair.
March 18, 2011
March 19, 2011
Elizabeth moved around more than she ever had before. For hours. Had my first baby shower with my close friends from high school. Their generosity was astounding!
March 20, 2011
Work on the crown moulding continued. Cleaned up the guest room, and started cleaning Daddy's office (that didn't get far!)
March 21, 2011
Bi-weekly checkups starting! Had a good, if uneventful visit today. Heartbeat sounded good. Dr. West told me that Lizzy's ultrasound while I was in the hospital showed she was 83rd percentile for size at her point in gestation. Big, healthy girl!
March 22, 2011
We were wandering around Target, and randomly went down an aisle we don't usually visit. There, stuck behind some other boxes, was the exact high chair we wanted for over 50% off. Score!
March 23, 2011
Why the heck do pregnant women get agonizing charlie horses in the middle of the night. OUCH OUCH OUCH!
March 24, 2011
Non-alcoholic beer is lame
March 27, 2011
Another Ikea run. Quite challenging for a 7.5 month pregnant beast. We filled the Porsche to CAPACITY. I mean, a world tetris champion could not have fit more stuff in than we managed to. Bought storage units, a desk, table, etc. Funny that Daddy was the one in nesting mode.
April 3, 2011
Woke up, everything was normal. A few hours later and Elizabeth had most definitely dropped into my pelvis. I did some reading and saw that, statistically, this means most babies will arrive within 2-4 weeks. This put my "target" at May 1. We ended up being only 6 days after that. But once she dropped, I knew there was no way we were going to make it to her due date of May 18.
April 4, 2011
So began the sharp, stabbing pains. Ugh.
April 8, 2011
Went to the doctor, and was really hoping for an internal exam to check for effacement. But, no dice.
April 14, 2011
Work threw me a baby shower, my second one. It was the mother lode! Got an exersaucer, Uppa Baby stroller (the small one), and lots of other really great stuff. And here I'd asked them not to throw me a shower. Silly me.
April 16, 2011
Had our couples' shower at the Harder's (shower #3). Got some amazing gifts, including Elizabeth's abacus from the O'Dells, which we could not live without. Linda threw an amazing party.
April 17, 2011
Spent the day rearranging the garage.
April 18, 2011
Got ready to leave for work, and the Porsche wouldn't start. Not the kind of stress a heavily pregnant woman needs. Had to deal with Tom Wood Porsche. Ugh. I'd rather give birth without meds than deal with those jokers. Fortunately, it was a one-time glitch and never happened again.
Elizabeth moved around more than she ever had before. For hours. Had my first baby shower with my close friends from high school. Their generosity was astounding!
March 20, 2011
Work on the crown moulding continued. Cleaned up the guest room, and started cleaning Daddy's office (that didn't get far!)
March 21, 2011
Bi-weekly checkups starting! Had a good, if uneventful visit today. Heartbeat sounded good. Dr. West told me that Lizzy's ultrasound while I was in the hospital showed she was 83rd percentile for size at her point in gestation. Big, healthy girl!
March 22, 2011
We were wandering around Target, and randomly went down an aisle we don't usually visit. There, stuck behind some other boxes, was the exact high chair we wanted for over 50% off. Score!
March 23, 2011
Why the heck do pregnant women get agonizing charlie horses in the middle of the night. OUCH OUCH OUCH!
March 24, 2011
Non-alcoholic beer is lame
March 27, 2011
Another Ikea run. Quite challenging for a 7.5 month pregnant beast. We filled the Porsche to CAPACITY. I mean, a world tetris champion could not have fit more stuff in than we managed to. Bought storage units, a desk, table, etc. Funny that Daddy was the one in nesting mode.
April 3, 2011
Woke up, everything was normal. A few hours later and Elizabeth had most definitely dropped into my pelvis. I did some reading and saw that, statistically, this means most babies will arrive within 2-4 weeks. This put my "target" at May 1. We ended up being only 6 days after that. But once she dropped, I knew there was no way we were going to make it to her due date of May 18.
April 4, 2011
So began the sharp, stabbing pains. Ugh.
April 8, 2011
Went to the doctor, and was really hoping for an internal exam to check for effacement. But, no dice.
April 14, 2011
Work threw me a baby shower, my second one. It was the mother lode! Got an exersaucer, Uppa Baby stroller (the small one), and lots of other really great stuff. And here I'd asked them not to throw me a shower. Silly me.
April 16, 2011
Had our couples' shower at the Harder's (shower #3). Got some amazing gifts, including Elizabeth's abacus from the O'Dells, which we could not live without. Linda threw an amazing party.
April 17, 2011
Spent the day rearranging the garage.
April 18, 2011
Got ready to leave for work, and the Porsche wouldn't start. Not the kind of stress a heavily pregnant woman needs. Had to deal with Tom Wood Porsche. Ugh. I'd rather give birth without meds than deal with those jokers. Fortunately, it was a one-time glitch and never happened again.
April 22, 2011
Weekly doctor's visit. Finally got my internal exam, and was trilled to be 1.5 cm dialated and 80% effaced. Dr. West said things were moving along nicely, and she expected it to be just a few more weeks.
April 23, 2011
Had our Nursery Open House to get to see all of our friends who hadn't come to the other showers (and some who came again anyhow!) We had specified it wasn't a gift-giving occasion, but that didn't stop everyone from being overly generous. I guess this ended up being Shower #4!
April 25, 2011
Went to see Dr. West because I was having bloody show. She agreed, and did another internal exam. She said I was still 80% effaced. but now 2 cm dialated and my cervix was softer than it was on Friday. Good progress! She said she could send me to the hospital, but they'd just make me walk around for a few hours to see if it was really labor, so she advised we just go back home. So, we did.
April 27, 2011
Full term day. We made it to a healthy 37 weeks!
April 29, 2011
Starting to get quite impatient by this point. Having very mild contractions. Spent time timing them, only to end up frustrated.
April 30, 2011
May 2, 2011
Went to the hospital around 1:00 am, because I thought my water may have broken (due to a tiny trickle) and I didn’t want to take any chances since I was Group B strep positive. Of course, water was intact, Elizabeth was still quite happy in there, and I was still 2 cm dialated and 80% effaced. Zero progress. At this point, physically I was feeling fine, but emotionally, I felt defeated and frustrated.
May 3, 2011
Back at work today, but I literally had two things to do, and they weren't exactly keeping me very busy, since they knew I could be out at moment's notice.
May 4, 2011
A touch of evening cramping, amounting to nothing.
May 5, 2011
Happy Cinco de Mayo. Saw the doctor in the afternoon. Still 2cm dialated and 80% effaced. No progress since the last visit. Started to think I would be pregnant forever. She did say I was "nice and soft", and that my body "wants to go into labor". She also said she was going out of town that weekend, which in all liklihood meant I probably would have the baby, Murphy's Law being what it is. For dinner, we went to El Rodeo. Daddy got to have some giant margaritas while Mommy sat there sad, not drinking, and starting to have some painful contractions. I didn't get a good night's rest, because Daddy snored loudly all night, since he'd had so many margaritas, and I had a TON of cramping/contractions. I chalked these up to the internal exam I'd had that afternoon. The lack of sleep was not a good thing, when you consider the next few days...
May 6, 2011
Went into work like any other day. Brought doughnuts for the HR team. At 10:00 am, I was making a few copies of succession documents when I felt a gush of fluid. Thought "huh, that's different." Went to the bathroom. My underpants were soaked. I hadn't had any pregnancy-related incontinence, so I sent an email to Tommy to be on standby. I wrapped up a few things, told my co-workers "this is it", called the doctor's office, and headed that way.
Went to the doctor's office and got in to see Dr. West right away. It was about 11:00 am by this point. She tested the fluid, told me it wasn't amniotic fluid, and sent me to the Castleton office to double check with an ultrasound. Oh, and she was leaving for Florida in one hour. Tommy and I came back to the house so we could load up the hospital bags (because I KNEW this was it, despite what the stupid litmus paper had to say) and both ride together in my car. We rushed over to the Castleton office for the hastily scheduled 11:45 ultrasound appointment, making it just in time. The fluid levels were checked and were normal. So, they sent me on my way and reassured me it wasn't my water breaking. I knew better. But, I couldn't argue with them. I was crushed. Sobbing. Frustrated. Tommy took me to Ruby Tuesday's for lunch to cheer me up. It didn't help. We came back home. I pouted. I napped (thankfully!). Then around 4:00 he talked me into getting out of the house to cheer me up again.
First, we went to Von Maur to return some gifts. Then we went to Gander Mountain to look at handguns (what else do you do when you're 9 months pregnant?). Then we went to Babies 'R Us for some returns and to buy a bottle sterilizer. Then we went to BD's Mongolian BBQ, since it's right next door to Babies 'R Us.
It was exactly 8:00 pm. I was standing in line, having made my bowl of food, waiting to have it put on the grill. Then the BIG gush. Oh, if it wasn't my water breaking earlier, then this was surely it. I had a dress on, so I was able to keep everything pretty well "contained" by crossing my legs. But I wasn't leaving the food line! Once I got my food on the grill, I informed Tommy of my situation. Went to the restroom and it was pretty apparent it was my water. Confirmed this with Tommy. We decided to finish our meal, since it would be the last food I was going to get for awhile. Realized that we had brought Tommy's car, and all of our bags were still in the Porsche from our hospital trip earlier in the day. Murphy strikes again. And, now that my water had broken, Tommy was all worried about the seats in his car, so I got to sit on shop towels on the way to the hospital. I was eager to call my parents, but I wanted to be absolutely sure before we informed them.
Got out of the car, Tommy went to park up. Went to the elevator. Hit the button for Floor 4. Sauntered into Triage. And my life was never the same again.
Went to the hospital around 1:00 am, because I thought my water may have broken (due to a tiny trickle) and I didn’t want to take any chances since I was Group B strep positive. Of course, water was intact, Elizabeth was still quite happy in there, and I was still 2 cm dialated and 80% effaced. Zero progress. At this point, physically I was feeling fine, but emotionally, I felt defeated and frustrated.
May 3, 2011
Back at work today, but I literally had two things to do, and they weren't exactly keeping me very busy, since they knew I could be out at moment's notice.
May 4, 2011
A touch of evening cramping, amounting to nothing.
May 5, 2011
Happy Cinco de Mayo. Saw the doctor in the afternoon. Still 2cm dialated and 80% effaced. No progress since the last visit. Started to think I would be pregnant forever. She did say I was "nice and soft", and that my body "wants to go into labor". She also said she was going out of town that weekend, which in all liklihood meant I probably would have the baby, Murphy's Law being what it is. For dinner, we went to El Rodeo. Daddy got to have some giant margaritas while Mommy sat there sad, not drinking, and starting to have some painful contractions. I didn't get a good night's rest, because Daddy snored loudly all night, since he'd had so many margaritas, and I had a TON of cramping/contractions. I chalked these up to the internal exam I'd had that afternoon. The lack of sleep was not a good thing, when you consider the next few days...
May 6, 2011
Went into work like any other day. Brought doughnuts for the HR team. At 10:00 am, I was making a few copies of succession documents when I felt a gush of fluid. Thought "huh, that's different." Went to the bathroom. My underpants were soaked. I hadn't had any pregnancy-related incontinence, so I sent an email to Tommy to be on standby. I wrapped up a few things, told my co-workers "this is it", called the doctor's office, and headed that way.
Went to the doctor's office and got in to see Dr. West right away. It was about 11:00 am by this point. She tested the fluid, told me it wasn't amniotic fluid, and sent me to the Castleton office to double check with an ultrasound. Oh, and she was leaving for Florida in one hour. Tommy and I came back to the house so we could load up the hospital bags (because I KNEW this was it, despite what the stupid litmus paper had to say) and both ride together in my car. We rushed over to the Castleton office for the hastily scheduled 11:45 ultrasound appointment, making it just in time. The fluid levels were checked and were normal. So, they sent me on my way and reassured me it wasn't my water breaking. I knew better. But, I couldn't argue with them. I was crushed. Sobbing. Frustrated. Tommy took me to Ruby Tuesday's for lunch to cheer me up. It didn't help. We came back home. I pouted. I napped (thankfully!). Then around 4:00 he talked me into getting out of the house to cheer me up again.
First, we went to Von Maur to return some gifts. Then we went to Gander Mountain to look at handguns (what else do you do when you're 9 months pregnant?). Then we went to Babies 'R Us for some returns and to buy a bottle sterilizer. Then we went to BD's Mongolian BBQ, since it's right next door to Babies 'R Us.
It was exactly 8:00 pm. I was standing in line, having made my bowl of food, waiting to have it put on the grill. Then the BIG gush. Oh, if it wasn't my water breaking earlier, then this was surely it. I had a dress on, so I was able to keep everything pretty well "contained" by crossing my legs. But I wasn't leaving the food line! Once I got my food on the grill, I informed Tommy of my situation. Went to the restroom and it was pretty apparent it was my water. Confirmed this with Tommy. We decided to finish our meal, since it would be the last food I was going to get for awhile. Realized that we had brought Tommy's car, and all of our bags were still in the Porsche from our hospital trip earlier in the day. Murphy strikes again. And, now that my water had broken, Tommy was all worried about the seats in his car, so I got to sit on shop towels on the way to the hospital. I was eager to call my parents, but I wanted to be absolutely sure before we informed them.
Got out of the car, Tommy went to park up. Went to the elevator. Hit the button for Floor 4. Sauntered into Triage. And my life was never the same again.