It's Baby Time!

On December 10th, I woke up at about 1:30 am with contractions! I had been told that when it is time to go to the hospital, they would be quite painful and that they would be 3-5 minutes apart, so I tried to go back to sleep. After laying there trying to sleep for 2 hours, I finally decided to time them. They were about 7 minutes apart. I kept timing them until about 5 am when I finally woke Nathan up.  He asked me to time him with his special app that would tell us when to go to the hospital. So I did. About an hour later the app said, "Baby Time!" My contractions were about 5 and a half minutes apart. I woke Nathan back up and we got our stuff ready and cleaned up a little bit. At 7:30 we headed out the door!

 

When we arrived at the hospital, they checked me and I was dilated to 5 cm! The contractions weren't that bad so I decided to wait for the epidural. Around 9:30 Dr. Twelves came in and broke my water. The contractions really didn't get any worse. I actually thought I could handle them better. She checked me and I was dilated to 7 cm.


My mom and Kristy arrived to take pictures and video the event. The doctor thought we would be having this baby by noon! I decided I would be doing it without pain medication. It's not that bad! I got up, walked around, bounced on the yoga ball and thought of the movie What to Expect When You're Expecting when they ask the blonde what her pain level is and she says, "I'm smiling so it must be a one."  I was however very nervous to push a little human out of me so I asked Nathan to give me a blessing. I knew everything would be okay. They checked me again at 10:43 and I was  8 cm!

 
11:52 They checked me again. Still at an 8. Shortly after, Rick arrived. At 12:02 They started me on pitocin. 

Nathan started to freak out a little bit that I wasn't medicated yet. I told him it wasn't that bad and he didn't believe me. Around 1:30 I hit the #7 on the pain scale, but I was determined to go unmedicated. Nathan got even more anxious at my refusal. At 2:24 they checked me again and I was at an 8+. They increased the pitocin to get things moving a little more. They also decided to put in an internal monitor to get a more accurate look at my contractions.

4:20 rolled around, still at 8+. They decided to increase the pitocin because the contractions weren't as strong as they should be to get baby out efficiently. At 5:08 I finally decided to take a little pain medication, mostly to calm the nerves of Nathan. It helped me so that I could take a nap. They increased the pitocin and checked me. Still at 8+.

5:40 the nurse mentioned that a c-section is a high possibility. I decide on the epidural so I can sleep and just in case the c-section had to happen. At 7:20 I go a new nurse, Kristen. She checked me, no progress. They start me on antibiotics for the Strep B.

8:00 the doctor is called and will be in around 8:30. (My doctor, Dr. Hutchison was off that day so Dr. Beardall was going to come in instead.) No improvement and baby started showing late decelerations. At 8:30 the doctor arrived and said that we would need to have a c-section.  I had hard time with it. I cried and felt like a failure. But I soon felt peace. I had received a blessing and knew things were going to be okay. It didn't matter how he got her as long as he and I were both safe.


At 8:40 I was off the the OR.  They gave me more concentrated epidural to really numb everything. The did a test to make sure I couldn't feel anything and then began cutting me open. Nathan said it was really cool to watch. A few tugs and pulls later and our baby was born at 8:57 pm. As soon as they pulled him out the doctor lifted him up so I could see him. I started bawling. And I knew right then that his name would be Carson. (I just had to convince Nathan of it!) He weighed in at 8lb 10 oz and 21 inches long. He did have a big head at 35.5 cm (average was 34).

   

As soon as I was stitched up, they wheeled us back into our room so that Carson could meet Grandma and Aunt Kristy. He was perfect! He has the cutest little dimple in his chin, just like Nathan. He hardly cried at all. Just as happy as could be in my arms. We did skin to skin right away and I nursed him for a few minutes.  It was all such a wonderful and beautiful experience! It's amazing to me how miraculous life really is. I'm so thankful for Heavenly Father and him entrusting us to be Carson's parents.


  

38 Weeks

How many weeks: 38
How big is baby: 19.6 inches & about 7 pounds
Weight gain: 36 pounds
Sleep: What is sleep?? I'm up so often because I am either in pain or need to pee that I don't think you could call it sleep. I would call them little cat naps.
Best moment this week: I am making some progress. I am now 3 cm dilated and 70% effaced. At least I am moving along. I know people who were at a 2 for a month!
Food: I still want milk. It's so yummy!!
What I'm looking forward to:  Getting this baby out!! I'm looking forward to the pain relief and being able to sleep comfortably. I looking forward to seeing my toes again and sleeping in my bed!!
The Ugly: I really do think that the reason these last few weeks have to be so terrible is so that you will want to do anything to get that baby out. Which includes pushing a little human out of your girly parts... I seriously am looking forward to it! I want it to happen right now!! Oh and I found out that I have tested positive for the Group B Strep, which means antibiotics during labor!
Other: Starting this week I will be doing non-stress tests 2 times a week until baby comes. On Monday, It was good to see the contractions and compare them to how I am feeling. The results: I can only tell if I am paying very close attention. I am told that will change, which is good because I am terrified of not knowing I am in labor like my mother.

Funny Moments: Misplacing things, important things. On Thursday I misplaced my wallet with around $500 in cash. I thought I had lost it while Black Friday shopping. Turns out I just left it on my desk at work. Then on Saturday, I went to a wedding and couldn't find my purse. Turns out I left it in the car. I think I stressed Nathan out more than anything. I'm so glad he is so patient with his crazy wife!! I sure love him!

37 Weeks

How many weeks: 37
How big is baby: 19.1 inches & about 6.5 pounds
Weight gain: 34 pounds
Sleep: It's become more and more difficult. I think I am looking forward to sleeping comfortably again.
Best moment this week: I went to the doctor this week. He said that I am 2cm and 70% effaced. He said that for this being my first child things are looking really good. He thinks that I will go into labor on my own without any problems. However, because I have gestational diabetes, they have set a date to induce me! December 11th. I hope he comes before then, but it's nice to have a definite finish line in sight!
Food: Give me some MILK!! I have been going through about 2.5 gallons of milk every week. I just can't get enough of it!
What I'm looking forward to:  Seeing that cute little baby face. I'm also looking forward to the whole birth experience. The thought of pushing him out scares me a little bit but I am excited to experience it! 
The Ugly: Baby has dropped, a lot! I had an ultrasound at my appointment and the tech was really surprised at how low he was. He has assumed the birthing position and is head down! Which, is great for my lungs and my appetite, but terrible for the pain and pressure in my pelvic region!! Oh and baby has inherited his daddy's head... yay for me!
Other: Each week at my appointment we have to do a Non stress Test. This is where they hook you up to the monitors to track baby's heart rate and your contractions. My son does not like this. As soon as those things go on he spends the next 20-30 minutes kicking them until they are taken off. It's funny to watch. I should record it! 

I know it is not even Thanksgiving yet, but I have been listening to Christmas songs for about a week now. The other day I was driving to work and the song, Mary Did You Know came on. As I started to really listen to the words I couldn't help but bawl my eyes out. I guess we never really know the impact that our children can have on the world. It's a lot of responsibility and such a great blessing that Heavenly Father has entrusted me with this precious baby. Every night when we pray Nathan prays that, "We won't mess him up." It's amazing how much trust God has in us to not mess him up. I just hope and pray that we will be able to raise him so that he can reach his full potential.

Funny Moments: We took a breast feeding class. Oh boy was it a hoot. The instructor was very hippie. She kept rambling off all of these things that breast feeding will do for you baby and I just sat there thinking and where's your proof? Then one of the highlights of the class was when she said that breast feeding should be a family experience. Let your husband drink your milk, he will enjoy it. LOL!! I had to do all I could to not bust up laughing!

32 Weeks

How many weeks: 32
How big is baby: 16.7 inches & about 4 pounds
Weight gain: 28
Sleep: I tried the whole double foam pad on top of my mattress and it lasted 2 nights. I’m back on the couch.
Best moment this week: I went to the doctor and he looked at my blood sugar levels and said that I was doing perfectly and that I can stop doing it after every meal and just do it once in the morning and then after one meal during the day, as long as I continue to eat the right foods!! Yay!! I hate pricking my finger!
Food: Pumpkin anything! I want pumpkin rolls, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin ice cream… I just want it!
What I'm looking forward to: Getting the nursery put together. Nathan has been working really hard this week at getting things organized. He put together the crib and is painting a dresser. I put up some of the artwork last night and it’s looking like a little boy room! I'll post a picture when it's all done!
The Ugly: Sore! I told the doctor that I was really sore down there and he said “yep”.  It’s due to the fact that the baby is starting to drop and his head is being wedged into a space that needs to expand and doesn’t want to so my pelvic bone and the muscles surrounding it are going to get increasingly sore until he is all the way in position.
Other: Hiccups. Baby is getting hiccups several times a day, which is fun to watch but I feel bad for the kid. I know I don’t like hiccups!

We also started a child birth class. My doctor’s nurse is teaching it and she keeps it pretty entertaining! Our friends, Matt and Lorinda are taking it with us, which is extra fun! One of the great topics we discussed is getting over the fear of pooping during birth because it’s going to happen! She also said to NEVER take castor oil to induce labor because, yes it will start your labor but it will also give you explosive diarrhea and you don’t want that when you are pushing a baby out!
Funny Moments: On one of the nights I tried sleeping with the double foam pad on top of the mattress; I woke up to roll over and quickly realized that the bed was not there. Yep, I fell off of the bed, luckily I landed on my hands and knees, but I had a good laugh!

30 Weeks!!

How many weeks: 30
How big is baby: 15.7 inches & about 3 pounds
Weight gain: 25
Sleep: Pretty much the same. I miss sleep.
Best moment this week: 
Food: Fruit. Oh and I crave Ice cream partly because I love it and the other part because I can't have it.
What I'm looking forward to: Buying baby stuff & showers! (Does that sound greedy?) I'm just really excited to get cute little boy things!!
The Ugly: I was at Harmons checking out and the lovely clerk took one look at me and said, " Are you having twins?" When I replied, "No, there is just one." She then looked me up and down and said "my cousin gained 89 pounds." I replied to her, " Well, I've only gained 25, so I think I'm good, thanks." When I walked out I looked down at my belly and asked aloud do I really look like I"m having twins??
Other: We are finally coming up with a list of possible names. It's so hard to name a kid! Hopefully he won't be one of those babies that doesn't have an official name until he is a month old!
Funny Moments: I was already a clumsy person, but now that I am pregnant I am extra clumsy. Luckily I haven't fallen on my face, but the other day I did trip on my skirt while going up the stairs. Luckily I was able to catch myself before falling but not before my bum was exposed from my skirt being pulled down by my feet!

Here is an ultrasound of baby at 29 weeks:

28 Weeks = 3rd Trimester!

How many weeks: 28
How big is baby: 14.8 inches & about 2.2 pounds
Weight gain: close to 25
Sleep: It goes something like this: wake up every hour to turn over to the other side until my hips hurt so bad I can't sleep on either one of them so around 3 am I go to the couch so that I can prop my self up and sleep sitting up, but then I don't sleep because baby is hosting a disco party inside my belly and won't stop moving (I actually really love this). Around 4:30 am I fall asleep only to wake up around 6 because I have to pee.
Best moment this week: Nathan sat down and put his hand on my belly and baby kicked/elbowed him for a good 15 minutes. I love when he does this because I feel like it helps Nathan really feel how real it is.
Food: Salad!!
What I'm looking forward to: Getting the nursery all put together. It's going to be superhero themed. I am currently working on a quilt for him that is going to be really cute!!
The Ugly: I found out this week that I have gestational diabetes. Luckily I can control it with diet goodbye all you yummy carbs!! I also have to test my blood several times a day. I hate getting my finger pricked!!
Other: We registered for baby stuff this week. I wasn't going to, but people kept asking me so we finally did. As we walked through Buy Buy Baby, I was a little overwhelmed with all the things that you could possibly need for a baby. I knew that basics from having nieces and nephews, but do you really need all that stuff they sell??
Funny Moments: 
You know the saying, "Don't cry over spilt milk?" Well, I'm pretty sure that came from a pregnancy experience.  I got home from a long day at work and was so pleased that my wonderful hubby did the dishes. I got out a glass and the milk, poured the milk and when I went to put the milk back in the fridge, the cup tipped over and spilled all over the clean dishes. I grabbed the bucket of dishes, went up stairs and cried while I washed them. I kept asking myself why I was crying and the only response I could give was, I really wanted that milk!

The other day I was soundly sleeping and I started to dream that I was talking to Nathan and then told him "hold on I've got to pee"... well, luckily I woke up when I felt myself starting to relax and ran to the bathroom, but I still thought it was pretty funny.

24 Weeks

How many weeks: 24
How big is baby: 11.8 inches & 1.3 pound
Weight gain: 18 pounds
Sleep: Still tossing and turning all night. Last Saturday I got to sleep in and it was so nice!
Best moment this week: When I slept through my alarm and baby’s kicks woke me up so I wouldn't be late for work! It may have been an arm or something else, I don't know. All I know is he dragged whatever it was all the way down my belly and it tickled! I woke up laughing.
Food: Popcorn is so good! I actually really want some right now…
What I'm looking forward to: Nathan feeling more of the baby. It seems like every time he comes over to feel him kicking he stops. I guess daddy soothes him.
The Ugly: Sore! My hips, my butt and my pelvic region are all so sore! It kind of feels like I’ve been riding a horse for 8 hours. I know it’s due to things shifting, but holy moly!!
Other: I have an app that I really like called "I'm Expecting" This week it said that baby's lungs are developed enough that if he was born he could survive. It would be tough but he could make it! It's a relief to finally be at that point! I know that for Nathan this is when he can finally relax a bit. 

We are slowing gathering items for the baby room. My friend, Becca found us an awesome deal on a changing table. My little sis gave me a dresser that I can’t wait to refinish with some red paint. I’m working on getting his super hero quilt done. Thanks to my mom for her help on that!!

23 Weeks

How many weeks: 23
How big is baby: 11.5 inches & 1 pound
Weight gain: 18 pounds
Sleep: I've found that I can sleep if I surround myself in pillows. I need 2 for my head, 1 for my belly, one for my back, one for between my legs and 2 to prop my feet up on.
Best moment this week: Nathan is continuing to feel baby kicks. It's fun and I think it helps make it more real for him.
Food: Fruit.
What I'm looking forward to: Cooler weather. Bring on the Fall!
The Ugly: Swelling! My feet have begun to swell. I got a bit worried about it because it seemed early to me, so my doc had me come in. They did some testing and check my blood pressure. The doc says everything looks normal I'm just swelling 10 weeks ahead of schedule! Yay for me! He wrote me a prescription for compression socks.
Other: I know gaining weight is a normal part of pregnancy but it is really hard for me! I hate that for me to loose weight it takes a TON of work but those pounds just pack on like it's nothing. It was hard for me to step on the scale at the doctor's office today. I haven't seen the scale say that number since high school and I never wanted to see that number again! I just don't get why I am so large. I don't "eat for two" like people may think, I eat normal and try to eat fruits and veggies and my main drink is water. I guess I will never really have it easy in the weight department. I was going to post a photo of me, because I haven't yet, but I found this one more fitting of how I am feeling - maybe I'll post one next week:

21 Weeks

How many weeks: 21
How big is baby: 10.5 inches
Weight gain: 16 pounds
Sleep: I can't get comfortable! I sleep on my side and my hips start to hurt to the point that I'm flipping sides a billion times a night. I've even gotten to the point where I've tried to sleep sitting up. It works, but still is not very comfortable.
Best moment this week: Nathan felt the baby kick!
Food: Not so much chocolate... more fruity things
What I'm looking forward to: Watching my belly move when he does!
The Ugly: People have started asking if I'm having twins this week because "your belly is huge!" Hello people, not something you want to say to a pregnant woman!!
Other: We had our complete ultrasound this week. Baby looks perfect! His head is normal sized (thank goodness!!) His legs are a little longer, but I expected that. While we were getting our ultrasound is was fun to watch him move and feel him at the same time. There was also a point when he decided to curl up in a ball and tuck his feet right into my bladder - not cool with 32 ounces of water sitting in there! Here are some photos from our Ultrasound:

17 weeks - GENDER REVEALED!

How many weeks: 17
How big is baby: 5 inches
Weight gain: 10 pounds
Sleep: Crazy, vivid dreams! I had one dream that we lived in the ocean and built this inlet that allowed us to get up on the side of the ocean like it was a swimming pool. I lived with my siblings, but only Melissa and Sam were there. Oh and Sam was about 14 years old. A whale managed to get into our inlet and ate Melissa. It was weird!
Best moment this week: Finding out the gender! (see photos below)
Food: Food is yummy. Same cravings, no aversions.
What I'm looking forward to: Nathan feeling the baby move.
The Ugly: Still backed up and oh boy those stretch marks have appeared and are everywhere! Nathan told me that my back looks like a topographical map!


The gender of baby has been revealed and it's a BOY!!

16 Weeks!

How many weeks: 16
How big is baby: 4.5 inches
Weight gain: 9 pounds
Sleep: The constant need to pee has stopped during the night, but sleeping on my side is hard! My hands end up going all numb because of how I'm sleeping and I wake up several times to un-numb them.
Best moment this week: I felt baby kick and move! It was the coolest feeling ever! I tried to explain it to Nathan and he just said, "That is why men don't have babies. I'd get freaked out by that."
Food: Still craving pickles!! Salad has been extra yummy too!
What I'm looking forward to: Finding out the gender (next week) and Nathan feeling the baby move.
The Ugly: Backed up! Yep, I know this is a "crappy" subject but holy moly!!

13 Weeks!

We had our 2nd doctor appointment today. I love my doctor! The ultrasound tech wasn't in today so we sneaked in to the room and he did some photos for me. Baby Marden was moving around like crazy! The heartbeat was strong and everything looked good. It's fun to see how much baby has changed from 4 weeks ago! Baby went from the size of a gummy bear to the size of a peach! I love that it is looking more like a baby and no so much a gummy bear!

I'm now in my second trimester and I have to say that I am one lucky momma! No throwing up, a little nausea but nothing bad. It's been pretty smooth sailing! I do however, feel like I'm showing a lot more that I should be! I'm going to start adding a few things for each time I do a post so I can't reference it later.

How many weeks: 13
How big is baby: the size of a peach!
Weight gain: 5 pounds
Sleep: Hasn't been bad, but I am still getting up several times a night to pee.
Best moment this week: Seeing baby's ultrasound and telling everyone about baby!
Food: Craving pickles! I loved pickles before but I'm averaging a big jar of pickles a week! Ice cream is also yummy. The other weird food things is that I want things I haven't eaten in years: ramen noodles, tostinos pizzas, burritos. It's funny! Things I can't quite handle is the smell of BBQ, which is sad because I love BBQ!
What I'm looking forward to: the belly bump and feeling baby move!

Proof!

We had our first doctor appointment today! We got to go in and get a quick ultrasound to hear the heartbeat and it was amazing!! I cried my eyes out it was just such a great experience to have that proof that I have a living soul growing inside me. We are due December 17th! After our appointment and Nathan seeing how emotional I was asked if I wanted to tell my mom. Of course I said YES! So we went to a copy center and made a copy of the ultrasound tied it to the end of a balloon and put the balloon in a gift bag. We went to my mom's work to surprise her. She had a pretty good idea of why we were both there and Nathan had a camera. She opened the bag, saw the ultrasound and jumped up to give me a hug. It was a great feeling! Later on we went over to my Grandma's house and told her. She was excited too.

I'm super excited for this journey we are about to take! I just hope that we can show our little one as much love as possible.

Ooh another really cool thing. Our friends, Matt and Lorinda found out they are pregnant too! We are a week apart from each other! It's going to be so much fun to be prego together!

Here is me at 9 weeks. I'm already busting out of my normal clothes so I had to go buy some maternity clothes.

POSITIVE!

Holy cow! Today I found out I'm pregnant!!! We were not expecting this at all. Although the last week or so I've thought that maybe I was. I just can't believe it! We were expecting it to take a long time because of my PCOS. Some people with PCOS have a hard time getting pregnant at all. Wow! I'm sorry I'm rambling but I just am in shock! I missed my period (it was suppose to be here yesterday) and since I thought maybe I was I decided to get a test on my way home from work. That few seconds between peeing on the stick and the positive result I had a myriad of thoughts go through my head: What if I am? I'm not I can't get excited because I'm not. Holy cow but what if I am? then disappointment by the thought of no way that I am. But as soon as those two little lines showed up, I sat there in disbelief saying over and over "I'm pregnant" "I'm pregnant" followed by some tears of joy and shock.
Nathan was due home from work in the next 45 minutes. So I went to work! I made breakfast for dinner and did a special little plate for him with an egg sunny side up and sperm cakes (pancakes in the shape of little sperms.), Yes I know we are weird, but I thought it was funny. I set up my camera to record his reaction and waited. When he finally got home I had him sit down and unveiled his dinner. Now with Nathan big news can't just be sprung on him like this was. He needs time to process and adjust to change. So, his reaction wasn't much of a surprise. "Congratulations" "I'm so happy for you" "I need to make more money" were just a few of the comments that escaped his mouth. I reminded him that he is happy for us and knew he would warm up to the idea in a week or so.

Here are some photos from the day...