pre term labor??

The past few days have been a total roller coater ride, and not really the fun kind.  They've been scary days filled with lots of prayers.  I wanted to document what's been going on, mainly for my own memory, and just in case anyone is curious as to how all of this started.  Oh, and so I can hold it over my daughter's head some day..haha! :)

 On Friday morning I was getting ready for the day.  I had showered and was straightening my hair when I felt a faily painful contraction.  I have had LOTS of braxton hicks contractions from early on, so I didn't really think anything of it.  I finished getting myself and Kason ready, and we headed out to run some errands.  Keep in mind, we were supposed to be leaving for the beach the following day.  I took Kason to get donuts and as we were eating I started realizing that I wasn't feeliking "right".  I just felt off.  I was having lots of back pain and lots of what felt more like labor contractions than BH contractions.  Once again, I just kind of wrote them off and went on my way.  After all, I was only 32 weeks pregnant, I figured they were no big deal.  We ran a few more errands and by the time we got to the bank (our last stop) I couldn't even walk through the contractions.  This was the moment I realized that maybe something was going on.  I tried not to panic, because I knew that'd make matters worse, but I text Duane and called my sister (she's an OB nurse). Both said to call my doctor just to be safe.  I decided to go home and lay down on my left side.  I guzzled some water, because I know that this is what the doctor would tell me to do when I called.  At that moment, about 5 weeks too soon, I downloaded a contraction timer app.  Kason and I read books on the couch while I timed contractions.  Sure enough, they  were about 4-5 minutes a part for an hour.  These contractions were strong.  Not as strong as when I was in labor with Kason, but they hurt through my back and were so different from the normal BH contractions.  I finally decided to call the doctor.  I was worried they would think I was crazy, but my mom's intuition kicked in, and I decided it was better to be safe than sorry.  The nurse told me to come into the office, so we could check everything out.

This is the point in the story where I became an emotional mess.  I knew in my gut that something wasn't right but kept trying to stay calm.  I prayed that God would take this into his hands.  That he would keep my girl safe inside of me for a while longer.  I called my mother-in-law in tears and asked if I could drop Kason off while I went to the doctor. I contemplated taking him along, but in hindsight, I'm so glad I left him.  That would have been traumatizing for a 2 year old!  I got to the doctor's office around 12:45.  The doctor could tell how much pain I was in, and could feel my contractions just by barely touching my stomach.  She then checked for dilation, and sure enough, I was already dilated to 1 cm.  She made it seem like this was a big deal, but I later found out that it's fairly normal to be dilated early with your second baby.  She told me that she was calling the nurse to wheel (she wouldn't even let me walk) me over to labor and delivery.  She said I would need to be hooked up to monitors and get a steroid shot for my girl's lungs.  At this point I was still relatively calm.  I still thought I'd get to L&D and they'd send me home, no big deal.  I text Duane and told him he might want to come to the hospital, just to be safe.  He got there about a half an hour later and was of course calm as ever. :)

This is the point in the story where my favorite nurse of all time comes into play.  Her name was Jenn and she was an absoulte God send.  She could sense my fear, and did everything in her power to keep me calm.  She told me that I could just be dehydrated, so they'd give me lots of fluids to try to stop the contractions.  She said that I did the right thing by calling my doctor, because I was contracting so frequently.  I received fluids for the next hour, and the contractions got better, but didn't stop.  Around 3:30 I was given Procardia to try and stop the contractions.  The nurse was hopeful this would do the trick, but about a half an hour after I took the medicine (when it was supposed to be kicking in) my contractions started coming more strongly than they had all day.  They were only 2.5 minutes a part and they HURT.  At this point, Jenn started rushing around and I could tell something wasn't quite right.  She said they were going to wheel me to a more private room, which I translated to "you're in here for a while."  When we got to the room the doctor met me and said those dreaded words.  "You are in preterm labor, and we need to stop these contractions."  Preterm labor?!  How is this possible??  I had such a normal pregnancy with Kason.  There were a million thoughts running through my head as the doctor told me that vacation was out, and started throwing around words like "premature baby" and "NICU".

This is about the point I lost it.  I was so sad about vacation, and the fact that I couldn't enjoy that time with Kason.  Of course, above everything else I was scared for my baby girl.  32 weeks was too soon to be born.  I wanted her to be stronger, it was just too early.  At this time Jenn rushed around and got me started on an IV with magnesium.  If you've never had magnesium before, let me tell you something, it is AWFUL.  Within seconds of getting the IV, I felt hot all over, couldn't see straight, and felt like I had been hit by a bus.  All of those things aside, I knew I was doing this for my daughter, so I tried not to complain.  It was only for a short time and hopefully it would help her stay in a little longer. Thankfully, the magnesium stopped the contractions fairly quickly.  I was still having them, but not quite as regularly and they were much less intense.  I was SO thankful for this.  Around 4:30, I received my first steroid shot to help our girl's lungs develop better in case she were to come early.  Jenn said I'd need another shot 24 hours later, and then could possibly go home 24 hours after that.  So, I knew I was going to be in the hospital at least through the weekend.

The next 48 hours weren't too exciting.  The nurses would try to turn my magnesium down, and contractions would start up again, so they would have to turn it back up.  I was in bed the entire time, and was pretty darn close to going crazy.  The doctor and nurses were 100% honest with me about preterm labor.  They were so nice and let me ask all of my questions.  A pediatrician from the special care nursery came and spoke with us as well, and helped calm some of our fears.  I was so glad that even if born now, our girl could stay at the same hospital that I deliver at, as long as her lungs were functioning well.  I was also glad to know that I would still be able to have a vaginal birth, and that even though I'd have to pump, I would still eventually be able to breastfeed.  Breastfeeding is actually SO important for premies and babies in special care.  The pediatrician also emphasized over and over again how lucky we were that this baby is a girl.  Girls are much stronger when born early.  Such a blessing.

  The hardest part of this whole process was the fact that Kason was away from me.  He would come to the hospital in the morning and evening, but he would get bored fairly quickly.  Since my family went ahead and went on vacation, my in-laws took over Kason duty, and I am so thankful for them.  As thankful as I am to have so many family members willing to help, I'm still Kason's momma, and it broke my heart to not be the one taking care of him.  For the first time, I felt so torn between my two babies.  I knew that I was where I needed to be, but knowing that Kason was off somewhere else really made my heart hurt.  I am so glad that Duane was able to go home with him at night.  It was a total blessing that Duane was going to be off work for vacation this week.  He was a lifesaver and took such good care of Kason while I had to spend those 2 nights in the hospital.

On Sunday evening, after two rounds of steroids, they decided to let me go home.  They stopped the magnesium, and sure enough, I started contracting again.  The contractions weren't as frequent, and I don't think they were causing much change, so I felt okay with going home.  My doctor was quite convinced that I would go into full blown labor within a week, but knew I'd be more comfortable at home with Duane and Kason.  My nurse, on the other hand, said she's seen plenty of women go full term after going into preterm labor.  There's really just no way to tell!

So for now, I'm at home on bed rest until 36 weeks.  I celebrate everyday that this girl is able to grow inside of me.  I'm still really uncomfortable and contracting 2-3 times an hour, but at least I'm home with my boys.  It's all a waiting game from here on out!  We are just so thankful that God knows exactly when she will be here, and he will take perfect care of her.

So, that's what's been going on around here!  Never a dull moment, but I'm hoping things slow down a bit. :)

32 weeks {baby g #2}

Monday I was 32 weeks with baby girl!  When I was having Duane take a photo this morning, I thought it was crazy that I would only take 4 (maybe less) more pregnancy photos with this baby.  It has just flown by, and with a very busy 8 weeks ahead of us, I know she will be here before I know it!

Pregnancy Updates:

Baby G's size: Baby girl is about 16.7 inches long and weighs about 3.75 pounds, according to Baby Center.  However, at my appt. 2 weeks ago, the ultrasound showed that she weighed 4 pounds, so I'm guessing she's maybe 4.5 pounds now?  I know those weight predictions can be off a couple of pounds, so she could be much smaller.  Who knows!

My size: I weighed 123 pounds at my appointment today, which means I have gained NOTHING in the past month.  This totally shocks me and freaks me out, but the doctor didn't seem concerned.  I still measured a week behind today, but I know that baby girl is measuring right on track, so that's what's important.  All of those things aside, I am feeling 100% huge.  I get a lot of "you look like you're going to pop" looks when I'm in public.  This baby girl seems to be much bigger than Kason was at this point, so either she's going to be early, or huge.  We'll see in just a couple months!

Movement: Still feeling her all day long.  I find myself constantly pushing body parts back into place when they poke me.  She is SO low that when I have to go to the bathroom, I have to go right away.  If she moves, she hits my bladder and it is bad news!

Most exciting thing: Seeing her in 3d was SO cool.  We're also getting ready to take a vacation with my family, so I'm excited about that!

Most annoying thing: This part of pregnancy is so hard, especially in the summer.  I didn't have to deal with the heat with Kason, so this is new to me.  There is so much I want to do with Kason in these last 2 months, but it's getting really hard for me to go places like to zoo because I walk around so much that I start contracting.  We went this week and I know I overdid it and had to lay down in the evening to stop contractions.  I know they weren't labor contractions, but still strong enough that I felt like I needed to just stop and lay down.  Luckily, they stopped!

Cravings:  I honestly haven't craved much lately.  I eat a few bites of anything and get full right away.  The heat makes me have no appetite at all.

Sickness: Still feeling nauseous.

Next appointment: I went to the doctor this morning, and will go back in two weeks.  After that, I'll go back at 36 weeks and then I'll go once a week.  I cannot believe it's almost the end!

I didn't realize until I looked at this comparison how much lower I am carrying.  I actually think she is already dropping and has been for the past couple of weeks, which is crazy because Kason didn't start dropping until 34 weeks.  I guess everything just happens more quickly the second time around.

our girl

Today we got to see our girl's sweet little face, and let me tell you something, we are in LOVE.  She is just the cutest little thing, and it was fun to watch her move around, yawn, and make faces during our 4d ultrasound today.  My doctor's office actually doesn't do these anymore, and I knew I really wanted one because I had one with Kason, so Duane surprised me for mother's day and booked an ultrasound  We went to a place called Precious Peek and had a great experience!  I loved every minute of it, even though our girl didn't want to cooperate.  She was really close to the placenta the whole time, so that's what you can see on the left side of her face in all of the photos.  She's just out of room in there! :)

Here she is. :)

And a comparrison of 2 day old Kason to baby girl.  You can check out Kason's 4d ultrasound pics here.  I think they for sure look alike, especially the nose.  I think she may have Duane's lips, but other than that she looks like big brother.  Her little cheeks are SO chubby, which makes me wonder if she'll be a big baby. :)

my sweet 2 year old

I know I've blogged before about my struggles with the two's, but as hard as they have been, I am LOVING this age!  Although extremely strong willed, Kason's little personality is starting to really emerge, and he is hilarious!  I wanted to take a couple of minutes to write down some of the things he's doing, so that I don't forget them.  I feel like he's learning and changing so much everyday, I know that if I don't stop and blog about all of the little things he's doing, they will become a distant memory.  And my brain usually loses distant memories.

At two years old Kason is...

...Learning so, so much!  He never ceases to amaze me with the things he understands.  He knows all of his shapes, which is weird because we haven't worked on them a ton.  We do have some shape puzzles that he does all the time, so I think that helps.  He's slowly learning to count to 10, but for some reason right now he counts.."2, 4, 6" and then starts over at 2.  I can't figure this out, because we're obviously not counting by 2s with him.  I think it's because I always say..."Onnnne" and then wait for him to say two, and so on.  We're working on it!  He's learning new words everyday, and his newest trick is to pray before dinner.  Cutest thing.  EVER.  I feel like he learns so many words daily, and he is constantly repeating what I say.  I love that he is such a little sponge right now, and the teacher in me wants to continually help him absorb new things.  He also has a stellar memory.  He could take you on a tour of our town, and tell you where Kaia gets a bath, where we grocery shop, where the park is, where grammy works, etc.

...SO polite!  Ha!  This is not like a brag on our parenting, because honestly, I'm not sure why he is so polite.  Every time I (or anyone) gives him something, he says "Tank you!"  Every. Single. Time.  I guess I've been saying thank you to him since he's been able to hand me things, so maybe he picked it up from there.  If you don't say "You're welcome" right away, he will continually say "tank you" over and over again.  The Target cashier learned that the hard way last week, after Kason started yelling "thank you" because she wasn't responding. :)  He also walks around the house saying "Thank you!  Welcome!" over and over again.  We're working on saying "please" instead of whining for something, and he's getting much better about that.  I don't think he remembers unless I remind him, but I've caught him asking nicely several times lately.  He also says "sorry" even if it's not his fault.  I bumped into him this morning when I was sweeping and he immediately say "Sorrer (sorry)" even though I should have been the one saying it.  I guess he's had to say "sorry" so much, he's just used to it! :)

...A sports fanatic.  That's like putting it lightly.  The boy constantly has sports on the mind.  He loves to play golf with daddy, and has even asked me to buy him "Golf shirts.  Like dada!"  Duane is going to take him golfing with him soon..and I can't wait to hear about it!  He still loves basketball, and practices shooting multiple times per day.  His newest favorite sports are baseball and soccer.  He yells every time we drive by the local soccer fields "SOCCER BALL!!" and I know he will love to play next year.  He's been practicing baseball a lot lately too.  He's getting pretty good at hitting the ball with his bat.  I have a feeling I'm going to be spending lots of time at the ball fields when he's older. :)

...Loving the warm weather.  I tell you what, if he could, this kid would sleep outside.  We spend warm sunny days outside, and only come in for nap time.  We've even been eating lunch outside, which he loves.  He loves going to the park and throwing rocks into the creek, and could do that for hours.  He also loves swinging in the "big boy" swing at the park.  When we're at home, he loves driving his car or mowing the grass with his little mower.  He actually followed Duane around with his mower while Duane mowed the front AND back yard.  Hard to believe...since nothing holds his attention for long.

...Such a helper!  He loves to help me around the house.  His favorite chores are sweeping, unloading the dishwasher, and putting clothes in the washer.  He's at the point now that I can ask him to go in the other room and get something, and he does it!  This is so helpful since his momma can't bend down as easily as she used to. :)  I think his helpfulness will come in VERY handy when baby sister is here.  He will love to help with her and already talks about "giving baby sister a bottle".  

...Preparing to be a big brother.  We talk about baby sister A LOT.  I want him to know her name, and know that she is a baby in momma's belly that will come live at our house soon.  He always says "Good morning sister (although he uses her name)."  when he wakes up in the morning.  Anytime I'm changing clothes and he sees my belly he yells "BABY SISTER!!!" and pats my belly.  He loves to point out little girl clothes in the stores and yell his sister's name.  Lately, when we talk about her, he demands she come "OUT!" so I think he's ready to meet her. :)  

...Such a joy!  He's not an "easy" toddler.  He throws lots of tantrums, and whines a lot.  But he always makes me smile, even on hard days.  His laugh is contagious, and he is a genuinely happy little boy. He loves playing with other kids and does such a good job with it.  I honestly can't imagine life without him.  He bring Duane and I so much joy, that I can't look at him and not thank God for such a wonderful blessing.

So, that's my two year old in a nut shell! :) 

30 weeks {baby g #2}

Monday I was 30 weeks pregnant with our sweet girl.  30 weeks always seems like a huge milestone to me.  I've made it through the teens and the twenties, now I just have to make it through the thirties! Once I hit 30 weeks with Kason, I remember it just flying by.  With a busy 2 months of photo sessions, 2 family vacations, and lots of things to prepare for our girl, there is no doubt that the next two and a half months are going to go by in the blink of an eye.

I went to the doctor today, and when the doctor measured me he said I was measuring really small.  He wanted me to go for an ultrasound just to check things out.  I have to say, I was so nervous.  I'm a small person, so I'm not surprised I'm measuring small, but I never had to have any out-of-the-ordinary ultrasounds with Kason, so I was a bit of a mess.  I had to wait 2 hours for the ultra sound, and I spent a lot of time praying!  Duane came to meet me, and I'm so thankful for that.  It turns out everything is perfect.  Our sweet girl is actually measuring between 31-32 weeks, so she's actually big.  I'm wondering if maybe the original due date I calculated (July 8) is more accurate?  Or maybe she's just big?  Who knows.  Just so thankful everything is ok.  The tech. also informed me that she's head down, ready to go.  Yay!

Pregnancy Updates:

Baby G's size: Baby girl is about 15.7 inches long and at the ultrasound today they said she weighed 4.1 pounds (about the size of a head of cabbage).  My pregnancy app says she should weigh about 3 pounds at this point..so either she's huge, or the ultrasound measurements are off.  Sister is running out of room, for sure!

My size: Today I weighed 122 pounds, which means I lost a pound in the past 2 weeks.  Not sure how that happened?!  

Movement: I'm getting to the point where there's so much movement going on, that I pretty much feel her all day.  This is such an answered prayer, since I couldn't feel her much in the beginning.  Now I can see body parts popping up in various parts of my stomach.  Her favorite thing to do is ball up and push her booty up.  At least that's why it feels like she's doing, but I guess I don't know that for sure!  She does this on one side of my stomach and it's quite uncomfortable.  Until my ultrasound today I was sure her head was between my ribs, but it turns out, that's her booty!  She's head down and the tech said her booty is sticking up..so that's what's in my ribs. :)

Most exciting thing: My friend Sam just finished up her quilt!!  Although she doesn't have a crib for it to go into yet, I am SO excited for this!  I can't wait to take her photos on it!  We are also going for a 4D ultrasound this weekend.  To say I'm excited to see her gorgeous little face is an understatement. :)

Most annoying thing: I hate to complain, but if I'm being honest, from now until the end of pregnancy will be pretty uncomfortable for me.  Obviously, I'll endure whatever it takes to carry her full term, but man, it's hard being short and carrying a baby.  I'm really uncomfortable, just because my torso is so small, that it literally feels like I can't breath most of the time.  I know it's all worth it, but I forgot how uncomfortable it is towards the end.

Cravings:  I honestly haven't craved much lately.  I eat a few bites of anything and get full right away.

Sickness: I've been really nauseous again, so more Zofran it is!

Next appointment: I went to the doctor this morning, and will go back in two weeks.  Happy to announce that my 1 hour glucose test was normal, so no 3 hour test for me.  Yay!

This week, even though the angles are different, I think I'm the exact same size that I was with Kason.  So fun to look at these comparissons each week!  So glad I have them!

wordless wednesday