Thanksgiving 2012

We had such a great long Thanksgiving weekend! It was so nice having daddy home those extra days!

We spent Thanksgiving day at my mom's with both our families.

It was definitely different having a baby this year, but in a good way. Everyone loved holding her and we enjoyed showing her off!

 It was a great first holiday as a new family!

Chloe's Birth, Part 3

To read part 1 and 2 of Chloe's birth click here and here. 

I was totally numb from the waist down now, before I could kinda feel tingly. Clarke and my mom came in and within 20 minutes she was here! They held her up but I only saw a hand, that's it. Clarke went over to start taking pictures and I heard her cry, everyone was saying how beautiful she was. Finally they brought her over to me. I must say I was so exhausted at this time, I was trying so hard to stay awake. 

Our first family photo! I do remember asking if she had a lot of hair, my mom said she did.

At this point they asked my mom and Clarke to leave the room. I remember thinking that something must be wrong because they were suppose to let her lay on my chest to regulate her temperature and have more family time while they "fixed" me up. I got so nauseous at this point and started throwing up. And that's all I remember from the operating room.

So here is what happened: my uterus wouldn't contract to stop the bleeding. They tried more pitocin, the drug they used to start the contractions to make it contract again. When this didn't work I lost a lot of blood. They said I lost over a litter of blood and I was extremely close to needing a blood transfusion. My doctor used a fairly new procedure where she basically put a balloon in my uterus to apply pressure on it. Luckily this pressure stopped the bleeding. They said ten years ago I would have lost my uterus because this was a fairly new procedure. 

I remember waking up back in my room and seeing Clarke holding Chloe. I had no clue how much time had gone by, I was so groggy from all the meds and all the blood I had lost. My first very vivid memory of my daughter was at midnight (they woke me up to nurse, this was 7 hours after she was born). I remember thinking breastfeeding wasn't as painful or hard as I thought it would be. Again at 3 am they woke me up to feed her, this time I asked my mom how much did she weigh and all sorts of details that I still didn't know. I still had no clue about all the complications that had occurred.

As the morning came and the day progressed I learned about everything that had happened. This picture is actually almost 24 hours after I had her, but I still hadn't gotten out of bed. They eventually deflated the balloon and took all the many wires off my body. All I had left was the IV, which I had to keep until Sunday night because I also had an infection when I delivered her so I had to get antibiotics. Chloe also got an IV and got antibiotics for the the first 48 hours as well. Saturday night I finally got to move to the mother/infant unit and I finally got to eat some real food. Before that it was just clear liquids and some apple sauce or jello. 

Recovery in the hospital was rough. But, Monday came and it was finally time for us to go home. After almost a week in the hospital I was so happy to be going home, I cried as they wheeled me out.

The labor and delivery didn't go as I had hoped, but in the end there was a healthy baby and a healthy mom. Honestly I am so grateful for that because that is the one outcome that really matters, and not everyone gets that. I will make a full recovery and I can still have more children (not anytime soon though)! Chloe is just perfect and she was worth everything I went through. 

If you are still reading this thanks!!! I know it was a long story!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I have so much to be thankful for this year!

Chloe's Birth, Part 2

Thursday night was spent trying to get some rest but it was difficult. Every hour they came and flipped me to change sides to try to get Chloe to move down more. I woke up Friday morning feeling okay but I was so ready to meet Chloe. They checked me and the actual check was so much better because I couldn't feel it. I had only gotten to 4 cm I think I cried again. 

A couple hours went by and I finally felt hungry. I hadn't eaten a real meal since Thursday morning, depending on the nurse I had they let me eat ice chips, popsicles and jello. They decided to turn off the pitocin and then restart it to try to get things moving again. It worked, at the next check I was at 8 cm dilated! I was sooooo excited. My doctor said she would be here before sundown! I must say that although I didn't want to wait another whole day to have this baby I was happy that it worked out that my doctor got to be there for the birth. She wasn't at this hospital the day before so that was one positive about being in labor for 2 days! 

At my next check I was at 9.5 cm, so close. A couple hours went by and at the next check, still 9.5 cm dilated. For some reason my body couldn't get past 9.5 cm and Chloe wasn't coming down any further. I was stuck, we started to talk about the possibility of a c-section. I remember just crying, I had been through so much the past 2 days and nights to prepare for a vaginal birth, a c-section was the last thing I wanted. They went ahead and booked the operating room as the nurse, my mom and Clarke tried to calm me down. I must say the nurses and doctors at this hospital were just so great. 

My doctor checked me one last time before they prepped me for the surgery. Still no change. They wheeled me into the operating room and I remember being so cold. I was shaking, they said it was a side effect from the epidural. I was so uncomfortable at this point after having this epidural in for almost 24 hours. They let my mom and Clarke be in the room for the c-section, which normally they only let one person in. Once again this hospital was so great. 

I'll finish the rest of the story tomorrow, there is still a lot left!!

Chloe's Birth, Part 1

We checked into the labor and delivery unit at the hospital Wednesday around 6 pm, November 7th to get the cervidil (a drug to soften my cervix and get ready to be induced because I was only 2 cm dilated). I posted about that here. We were both so excited and nervous.

Here I am before going to sleep that night. I had to stay in the hospital with the drug in my cervix and they monitored me and Chloe all night. 

Clarke slept on a pull out chair right beside me. I didn't sleep that great, being in a strange place and the anticipation of the next day. Thursday morning they took the cervidil out and checked me. I hadn't dilated anymore, but my cervix was softer. They gave me pitocin to start contractions around 9 am and around 10 am I started to feel them. I knew I wanted an epidural but I really wanted to make it to 5 cm before I got it. I spent all day in labor trying different positions they talked about in my birth class to get Chloe to move down more and to get my cervix to dilate. 

Every time they checked me I got so emotional, it hurt and I wasn't making that much progress. Around 6 pm I was only at 3 cm dilated and I was exhausted. I couldn't wait anymore so I got the epidural. Getting the epidural didn't hurt at all, and they were so sweet to let both Clarke and my mom stay in the room while they administered it. Most of the time they only let one person stay. I felt so much better and I remember watching Glee that night. 

That's all I'll do for now, up next another full day of labor.

Chloe's First Week!

Today Chloe is one week old! Here are some highlights!

Right after she was born!

Sleepy on day 3.

Ready to go home from the hospital!!

Going to her first doctors appointment.

Pretty eyes on day 6.

Baby burrito all snuggly!

I'm so in love with this sweet girl!! 

She is Here!

I just wanted to do a quick post while I have a free minute.....Chloe Mae is here!!

She was born Friday, November 9th at 5:05 pm. 

6 lbs 3 oz and 19 inches long. 

We are so in love, she has the prettiest blue eyes and is so petite and beautiful!! Everyone says she looks like me, but she def. has her daddy's nose. 

I really wanna post about how she came into this world, it may take me awhile though. Not only because of lack of time but they were very emotional days and I'm still trying to process it all. I did end up having a C section, but in the end there was a healthy baby and a healthy mom so I am just thankful for that!

She is Coming

This will officially be my last post about being pregnant with Chloe. Tomorrow I am being induced. Tomorrow I will be a mom!

I had a very long doctors appointment this morning, so happy Clarke came with me to this one. I said that her movement hasn't been as consistent these past few days, although last night she was very active so I know she is fine. They did a stress test where they hooked me up to the monitors and that came out fine. They also did another ultrasound. I think this might have been my 7th ultrasound this pregnancy! Her weight was fine again. But the doctor said my amniotic fluid is really low and my placenta looks really old. Sometimes if the placenta gets too old it doesn't give the proper nutrients to the baby and that might be why her movement isn't as much as it was. Or it could be that I am just prone to anxiety and it's all in my head. Either way my doctor decided to go ahead and induce me since I am so close to my due date anyway. We check into the hospital tonight for meds to soften my cervix, I am only 2 cm dilated. I sleep with that and then in the morning they will induce me.

I am filled with many emotions right now. I have been wanting to go into labor for about 2 weeks now, so I am thrilled and excited to finally get to meet her! I am really nervous about giving birth, so many unknowns. But mostly I am excited. Next time I post it will be to say that she is finally here!! I can't wait!

39 Weeks

How Far Along: 39 Weeks, I really hope this is the last weekly pregnancy update I do!

Size of Baby: Baby is the size of a watermelon. It really does feel like I am carrying around a watermelon in my stomach too!

Weight Gain: About 27 pounds. 

Maternity Clothes: All maternity except for a few cardigans that I just don't button all the way or those few bigger t-shirts and sweat pants. 

Gender: Still pretty excited we are having a girl. 

Movement: Lots of movement at night still. 

Sleep: Blah, it's so hard to get comfortable. Also getting out of bed is a whole new adventure with this huge belly!

Symptoms: My back hurts so bad, my hands and feet are so swollen and my ankle has started to hurt as well. I am also having more contractions and cramping, more so than last week, so that is good. 

I was pretty frustrated after my doctor's appointment this week because I haven't dilated anymore. I know it happens differently for everyone and I could be more dilated and still not go into labor so I am trying to remember that. People have told me the same thing happened to them and then they went into labor soon after. 

Food Cravings: Ice cream, anything sweet really. 

What I Miss: Being able to move around comfortably and easily.

What I’m Looking Forward To: Having this baby!! I just can't wait to finally meet her. 

Best Moment This Week: Spending time with my husband this weekend, and just talking about finally meeting our baby and what that will really be like. I also must say seeing all my friends at church with babies just makes me so thankful that I get to be a mom too. 

The Last Saturday

 Depending when our little girl decides to make her grand entrance, this might be the last Saturday me and the hubs spend just the two of us for awhile. We decided to head down to Carytown, a cute little street that has local shops and restaurants near the city, and do some shopping and have lunch. 

He had been wanting to try this Mexican restaurant, Don't Look Back for awhile so we got lunch there. As a suggestion from a friend we got the nachos and they were really good! 

I also found a Christmas dress for our baby girl. I had been looking for awhile and was so excited when I found it at one of my favorite shops. 

All I need now is a cute little bow to go with it!!

I'm glad we got one more day together, but now I feel even more ready for her to come! We said it's crazy to think that by this time next week we will be parents. So crazy, but wonderful. 

Welcome November!

I can't believe it's November, the month I finally get to meet my baby girl!!

In some ways I feel like I have been pregnant for forever and in other ways it seems to have gone by so fast. 

Either way, welcome November!! I am so happy you are here!