3/31/09 #2

My Birth Story:
We went to the hospital on Wednesday March 25th at 7:30am. Being induced was actually nice b/c it allowed me to prepare everything before. I got to the hospital and they got me all set up on the contraction monitor and the fetal monitor. Then at 9:00am the pitocin was started. At first nothing was happening and they just kept coming back every 30 mins to up the level. Then at 12:00 I started feeling horrible contractions. They went from nothing to strong contractions every 1-2 mins. At 1:00 I had to pee so Matt went with me to the bathroom (with the IV) and I thought I peed down my leg as we entered the bathroom. It was my water breaking. We called the nurse and she confirmed it was my water breaking. At 2:00 I could no longer stand the contractions and was begging for the epidural. He finally came at 2:30 and put it in. The first time he did it it only worked on my left side. I could still feel the contractions on the right side of my body. So he re did it and it was fine. The problem came 2 hours later when the epidural would wear off. He had to come back every 2 hours and give me more medicine. The nurse came at 4:00 and checked me and I was only 3.5 cms and 60% effased. She turned me to one side and then came back an hour later and turned me to the other side. At 8:00pm I started feeling pain down low and in my rectum. The epidural was wearing off and it was hurting. She checked me and said I was 9cms. I couldn't believe it. At 9:00pm she came back and I was 10cms and ready to push. At this time the epidural wasn't working at all and I wanted him to come back and make it better with more medicine. At the same time the baby's heartrate was sky high and getting to 200 at some times. I also had a fever topping 101 at the highest. The nurse told us that we had a decision. Have the medicine and risk a c-section b/c they had to get him out b/c of the fever and heartrate or push him out with the pain. Matt made the decision for me before I could and I'm glad he did b/c I was really in pain. He said we were going to do the pushing and get him out. He knew I did not want a c-section and this was the best thing. It was very painful but I did it and an hour and 13 mins later Aspen Isaac Nicol was born and it was the best day of our lives. He had a fever when he was born of 103 but it came down in the next 3 hours to normal. They watched him for infection and took his blood about 4 times to make sure he was ok. He was and got to come home with us on Friday March 27th at 7:30pm. We are all doing fine now and breastfeeding is getting better. It was rough at first but now I'm getting the hang of it. Pumping has helped a lot and the baby is doing good with the breast and the bottle (with breastmilk).
That's it for now. Gotta go feed my child :)

3/31/09

We Welcome With Joy.....Aspen Isaac Nicol. He was born March 25, 2009 at 10:13PM. He weighed 8lbs 12ozs and was 21 inches long. We are all very happy and he is such a great baby!

3/23/09

My parents are now here waiting on the baby! :) It's been nice having them here. Last night we went to the Mongolian BBQ with them to eat. It was very crowded and hot in there. But the food was good. Today we went downtown Palo Alto and walked around and then ate at a hamburger place there. I got very tired walking around and can't really go out and do things despite wanting to. So we came home and my mom and dad walked downtown to a coin shop my dad wanted to go see. He really likes coins. He bought our little guy a piece of Platinum as an investment. :)
Today my new sandals that I ordered in the mail. I've been wearing my tennis shoes this whole pregnancy b/c my feet hurt in the beginning and I can't wait to wear sandals again. I'm very excited for that ;)
Tomorrow we go in to get our prostin gel. We are very excited for that. We are supposed to call at 3pm and go at 4pm. Hopefully everything goes smoothly. We are looking forward to it.
Well I will keep everyone posted on the baby status!
That's it for now.

3/21/09

So today I cleaned b/c my parents are coming. I probably shouldn't of b/c now my body aches but I did b/c that's what I do :). It does look nice in here now. I know that my mom will help me keep it nice in here while she is here. She is the only person that I know that is cleaner that I am. She's a neat freak. I guess that's where I get it from :) She's already asked for a list of things for her to do when she is here. So I made one for her :) It makes me happy thinking that I won't have to worry about those things too for awhile at least :).
Matt just went to the Apple Store. My phone seems to be broken. Feels weird to be without it. He gave me some old one incase I need to call him while he is gone. I have to say after having the Iphone it's pretty "ghetto". I know that sounds horrible and spoiled but you do get used to phones and not having my email, facebook and internet is not fun. I kinda feel naked w/out it. :) Hopefully he will get a new one of it fixed and bring it home the way it used to be.
Matt was a big help today. He went to Target, the pet store and the grocery store all while I cleaned. We are stocking up for when all of the fam. is here and when the baby comes too. Now everything is done and we are just waiting.
Well, my parents should be here in 2 hours so I'm gonna go take shower #2 for the day.

3/18/09

Today wasn't a very exciting day. Got up took a nap and then we went to the nature preserve to exercise Cali and for us to walk. Walking is getting harder and harder everyday for me. I guess it's the extra weight of the baby that does it. It really kills my back. But only one week from today guaranteed that he's coming out!!! Yeah!!!
We're just relaxing at home tonight. I'm making spaghetti for dinner. That's it for today. Sorry it wasn't an exciting day :)

3/17/09

Today I cleaned most of the house. I did everything except mop the floors (I did swiffer them though). I also took a nap but it was on our small couch and I woke up aching :) Guess I don't really fit on that couch anymore. It's getting warmer out here. The house is starting to get hot towards the end of the day. Our heat is set at 61 and it's 69 in here. That's a problem with this house in the summer time. Especially since we don't have AC. We have portable AC's around the house that go in windows but no AC. When we moved here the people we rented the house from said they never needed it. That was a big fat lie. They had to be crazy to not have AC. I told Matt that I will never live in a house again with no AC :) We are both AC people. It's weird too b/c this house is a older house but has been totally updated everywhere else except the AC and the windows. We have 2 portable AC's right now but I foresee us getting a couple more by the time the summer hits. They work well but only cool off that room.
I'm feeling pretty good today. My mom said that sometimes people go into labor when they feel the best. Maybe that will be me. Probably not....I've come to the conclusion that he's gonna stay and come out when he's 3 :) He seems pretty happy in there right now. When he moves you can really see it now. And Matt just loves to feel his body outline through my belly. Matt is gonna be a great daddy and is just so excited to meet his little guy!
Well that's it for today. Matt should be home from work in a couple of mins and then we might take Cali to the park.

3/16/09

Today was our 39 week doctors appt. I lost another pound. Doctor didn't seem concerned. I'm also still measuring at 37 weeks. Heartbeat was a little faster than last week but she said that this is because their heartbeats are like ours and go up and down. I think they go down when they are sleeping too and he was awake during the exam. She did another cervical exam and I'm still 2 cm's but have thinned out to 50%. So not much progress...just a little. This weekend I also lost my mucus plug. Sorry if TMI :) We got all excited thinking labor was going to start but it didn't. I was up at midnight showering just incase. I've always said that I don't want to be the dirty butt girl walking in to have the baby. :) So I've been showering 2 times a day to prevent this from happening :). We walked a lot this weekend. Cali liked that. We also ate some spicy Indian food. I just got done about 10 mins ago from eating some pineapple. It's supposed to be a natural food to jump start labor. Don't know if I believe that or not but I'm trying anything.

As of now we have an induction date scheduled for the 25th. This is the day after my due date. The reason that we decided to do this is that 1) I'm uncomfortable and 2) our parents will be here and we want to take full advantage of their help and for them to have as much time as possible with the baby. He is full term so there is no risk involved. The doc also said that my cervix would be a great one to induce if we had to b/c of the progress already made. She also said she didn't think that we will have to do that but would schedule it just incase we do.

So that's it for now. Wish us luck on having a baby sooner than later :) We are so excited and just can't wait to meet this little person ;)

3/13/09

No sign of labor yet. I woke up today with a backache again but nothing is happening besides that and a baby that feels like he's trying to climb out of my butt. :) I also had a lot of diarrhea today which is supposed to be a sign. Sorry if TMI :) Matt and I went to the park with Cali and walked laps around it. We are also trying acupressure points that are supposed to naturally induce labor. The natural ways don't bother me because if he's truly not ready to come he won't regardless of what we do. Tonight we are just taking it easy and waiting for our little guy to make his decision on when he is ready to come. That's it for today.

3/12/09

So last night I had a weird pain. The pain was in what felt like my cervix and rectum and it lasted for about a min. It kinda felt like falling on a boys bike bar like when you are little. (not sure if guys would understand that or not). It went away after a min and I was fine but man oh man did it hurt. After that Matt and I went to the park last night and walked 6 laps around our park. I also bounced on our exercise ball a bit and ate some spicy italian sausage and went to bed. This morning I was sitting down talking to Matt and the same pain came and lasted for another min. It hurt so bad I cried. So this morning I called the doc. She said to come in at 1:50 to get checked out. We went in and she did a cervical check. She said my waterbag is still intact and that my cervix has now rotated to the correct "birthing position". She also said that I'm now 2 cm's and have made significant progress since Monday. She asked if I wanted my membranes stripped and I told her to go ahead and do it. It wasn't comfortable but wasn't too bad. I'm so uncomfortable now that I didn't even care. My back hurts and my whole pelvis hurts. She then did an ultrasound to check the baby's fluid and said it was great. Then she gave us a note for the hospital to give to them if I go into birth this weekend that said to page her if I go into labor.
I just ate and took a shower. Everything is packed and ready for the car. Matt took Cali to the park earlier and is gonna take her again in a bit. We're trying to wear her out incase she has to be left in her cage. Hopefully my parents or Matt's parents will be here within a day so that she won't have to be caged for long. We also have one of Matt's friends that is gonna come by and take care of her until they get here.
Well, that's if for now. I'm going to lay down and get some rest incase I need my energy soon!

3/11/09

The past couple of days have been very uncomfortable for me. The baby is definitely in my pelvis b/c I have pressure down there and I feel him head butting my cervix. But I guess that means it's closer to time so that's exciting.

I bounced on our exercise ball for a good hour last night trying to help his journey out. I was so tired afterwards and don't know why b/c I took like 3 naps yesterday.

Today I am cleaning the house. It's my weekly cleaning and I thought if I was standing up for a while then maybe he would have gravity on his side. Plus the house really needed it.

Cali is sleeping now on the couch. She's tired for some reason today. I just love it when she takes naps. She is like having 10 kids at one time all the same age. She requires more work than a kid. And I mean it. She is pretty smart though. I taught her to roll over last night and it took all of 2 mins. to teach her. She now knows how to roll over, high five, sit, lay, get her ball, knows who daddy and mommy are, can get the kitty, knows her 3 friends names and will run to the window if you say their names, knows the words outside and car ride and definitely park, can sit up with her paws up in the air, and can spin around. She's a good smart dog, just needs tons of attention. So when she takes a nap or goes to sleep it's like heaven! :)

Well, I'm going to take advantage of Cali sleeping and clean the rest of the house.

3/9/09

We had our 38 week doctor's appointment today. She checked my cervix and said I'm 1 cm dilated and the baby's head is low in my pelvis. So that's a good sign. :) She also said I'm measuring 37 weeks now and am 38. She said this happens when the baby drops down. I guess this makes since now since I have that squishy spot under my boobs. I can definitely tell he's dropped some b/c I'm peeing a lot more lately. Hopefully he decides to come sometime soon! We are very excited to know that there is progress being made :). Everything is ready now all we need is a baby.
Matt just left to go back to work and I think I'm going to take a nap. That's it for now :)

3/8/09

I had read something today that basically described my shower routine to to tee so, since I just showered, I would let you know all that is entailed in being a pregnant woman and showering.

Lying sprawled out on the couch....I think about taking a shower.

An entire episode of "A baby story" goes by and I still haven't moved. Finally, I flip myself onto the floor. I decide to take a small rest and Matt comes in laughing. I swing my legs for a bit for the momentum to get up. Still laughing, Matt grabs my hands to give me a pull. Because I now outweigh him by at least 20 pounds, I almost take him down. Finally, the two of us triumphantly stand up.

Winded as though I have advanced tuberculosis, I slowly huff to the bathroom.

Now is the tricky part...removing the clothes. I peel of my shirt and after a few tries unsnap my bra and succeed. My new pregnant cannon-sized boobs bounce off my belly and jiggle a bit and finally settle down several inches below where the bra secured them. I then slip down my maternity sweatpants and granny panties and awkwardly lean to take off my socks. There are indention marks where the socks were because my legs, ankles and feet are swollen.

Now that I am naked I stare at myself in the mirror with disbelief. Holy Crap! Is that really my body?!

Step into the shower and try and shave the legs. I try to suck in my belly while arching my back, still failing to have a view, lifting my leg onto the side of the tub and go at it blind, rinsing the bloody razor every few swipes. Meanwhile, I'm praying that the hair won't grow back until delivery. Holding onto the walls like a handicap rail, I wash my lower body. I can no longer see my hooha and washing it and my bottom is becoming quite the chore. I am usually scrunched over praying I don't fall and hit my head on the tile or tub and trying to wash the soap out. Then I have to twist around and try and do my bottom too.

I pee while in the shower because I can't wait until I'm out. Then I have to wash again because I just pee'd down my legs.

After the shower is done comes drying off. I never thought I would have this much acreage to dry off. And it's not made any easier by the fact my towels keep shrinking. Before long, I am going to start using pool towels and convince myself it's not a problem. I also feel like I need some sort of hydraulic lift to dry under my boobs these days.

I then sigh as I pass the bathroom mirror and into my closet to that mirror to try and find something to wear. Looking at my closet with all the pre-pregnancy clothes (most of I put in the basement) I have a short cry and then grab a pair of ugly grey or black sweatpants and a maternity shirt that no longer fits and my belly hangs out of the bottom. This usually takes a while because I'm in such denial about how big I really am thinking "oh my gosh I really can't fit this anymore".

Finally I am done. Exhausted I make my way back to the couch and take a nap.


---This is my routine to a tee. Hope you all enjoyed learning how a pregnancy shower works. I never before knew what it was like and wish I did ;)

That's all for now.

3/7/09

Today was a good day. I woke up early b/c the sun is coming out earlier (until tomorrow when we change the clocks). Matt went to get a haircut this morning and when he got back we went to BestBuy and he bought a new monitor for his office. It's also going to be the tv for the office too. We also went to the Apple store to get something else he needed. After that we came home and then he set up his monitor and office stuff and also put a rug out in the office. I went out when he was done and cleaned it. It looks nice now. Then this afternoon we went to a nature preserve to go for a walk with Cali. She had lots of fun b/c we took her ball and the chuck-it to throw it really far. She's out now b/c she got so much exercise :).
We are thinking that the baby has dropped b/c I have a squishy spot under my boobs where the baby used to be. Looking in the mirror I can't really tell but Matt felt the squishy spot and said he thinks he has defiantly dropped down some. Hopefully it's not just wishful thinking :). I guess it really doesn't matter b/c the doctor said that dropping has nothing to do with the onset of labor. She said you can drop while in labor or drop weeks before. It just gives me reassurance that things are gonna happen sometime soon. :)
Well, the baby has hiccups and sitting the way I have to, to type on the computer, is making me feel them in my hipbone so that's it for now.

3/6/09

Yesterday we decided to invest in an exercise ball. This is supposed to be good to get the baby to drop down and get him ready to come out. Anything to help right now is appreciated. I am growing more and more uncomfortable everyday now. My body seems to be swelling little by little and I'm having trouble sleeping at night b/c the only thing I can sleep on is my sides and they are horribly uncomfortable now. I woke up today with my whole neck and head hurting for some reason.
So last night I bounced and bounced and rocked back and forth. I'm going to do the same today. Not sure if it will work or not but I'll try anything (except castor oil) about now.
We will be 38 weeks on Monday and have another doctor's appointment on Monday. Hopefully she tells me something positive about him coming out! We would be so happy!
Well I'm going to enjoy my nap today b/c I don't think i slept well last night. That's it for now.

3/4/09

So I think the hemorrhoid is getting better...which is weird. But I did read that when the baby restricts the blood flow to that area that's when it happens and also just the weight of the uterus. So who knows. Maybe he moved. It's still there but seems better for some reason. :)
I cleaned today. Yes, again. Cali is a pig so it needed to be cleaned again. I usually really clean once a week. And today was the day. I did everything except Matt's office which I will do tomorrow.
Matt came home a little early today and we took Cali to the park, I mean swamp. Yes, it was like a swamp. It was filled with water and Cali basically went swimming :). She would run and you could see the water splashing behind her....like a car driving through puddles. She came home soaked! We spent like 10 mins outside drying her off. I was not about to let her go inside like that into my clean house :) It was actually kind of warm when the sun was out.
Tonight is going to be pizza night. My nights of pizza are numbered so tonight I'm eating it for one of my last nights ;) (the weight loss plan starts right after birth).
Well that's if for now. I have to go and tell Cali to stop barking through the window at her neighbor "boyfriend". His name is Coda and he's a golden retriever the same age as her. She just loves him to death. She's barking and shaking her hinee at him through the window while pawing at the window. So funny to see.

3/3/09

So today I woke up with my very first hemorrhoid. Yep that's right.....a hemorrhoid. I couldn't believe it and didn't really know what it was until I thought about it. I read that it's from the pressure on my veins and lower area not getting enough blood and the pressure going high down there. It happens in late pregnancy with or w/out (in my case) constipation. I sure hope it goes away after but I have heard it will probably get worse after before it gets better. Oh well...the joys of motherhood have hit already :) My body will no longer be the same again ;) It's all worth it though.
Not much else going on today. I guess the hemorrhoid is enough. Matt just took Cali to the park. I stayed home to make sloppy joes for dinner and b/c it's raining out and the park is probably a mess. I'm sure they will have fun though.
Can't believe it's already March. The countdown has begun and I hope this kid comes out before any more hemorrhoids do! Hopefully he makes his exit soon! :)
Sorry if too much info for some of you. :) That's it for today.

3/2/09

Today we had our 37 week Dr's appt. It went well. I'm measuring 38 weeks but am only 37. She said this is fine though :). Heartbeat was great and the test came back that I am negative for Group B Strep. That is good b/c being negative means that I won't need to have antibiotics before and during labor. We were told that he could come anytime now b/c he's considered full-term after 37 weeks. That was exciting b/c I can't wait for him to be out! He's huge and so am I. ;) :) She didn't do a cervical exam today. She said that she usually waits until 38 weeks to do an exam if I want her to. I told her that yes next week I would want that....just to see if anything is progressing (hopefully). :)
Yesterday Matt and I went grocery shopping and to the pet store to get Cali's food. She has a sensitive stomach so she has to eat food for that. And you can only buy it at a couple of stores around here. She only eats that food with her vitamins and supplements daily and a couple of pupperoni's and that's it. If she gets any treats she gets diarrhea for 2 days. And that is not fun to deal with. She's pretty much a wild doggie right now b/c she's been caged up all night and then this morning while we were gone to our appt. It's raining again so she can't go play outside and that gets her pretty wild. Rain or shine we will probably take her to the park tonight for her exercise b/c she will need it.
Well, I made chili last night for dinner and I think I'm going to go and eat leftovers for lunch.