Pregnancy Journal Week 36

Wow I made it this far..... last week I didn't think I would. Since coming home from the hospital I've had regular contractions both Sunday and Monday night. Poor Jonathan was anticipating a middle of the night hospital visit. He is sooooo excited for this baby to come. I had an appt yesterday expecting to have dilated more. But guess what nothing. I had all those pains for hours for nothing. Ugh, I guess I need an experience of a lifetime for my last pregnancy. I told my Dr. about my contractions and he said it just doesn't make sense for me to have such regular contractions and have no change in my cervix. Then he said you must be miserable and of course when you are having labor pains yeah your miserable. Well at least me. He said that if this is going on all this next week we might talk about getting an amnio done to check the babies lungs. If they are mature he might deliver me. If you don't have a medical reason there are a lot of politics you have to go through. I'm just getting contractions that a normal woman would go to the hospital for and come home with a baby. Since they are mimicking real labor pains and nothing is resulting from them except a sleepless night and pain it feels as if I'm going through the labor process night after night. I'm hoping that I'll be able to get induced but I'm not really counting on it. Lily came at 37 weeks and did great. I'm glad that I've been documenting this whole pregnancy even though it will be hard I know that the end result will be very much worth it. Oh I kind of got a taste of what it will be like for the kids to have a baby around. My next door neighbor had a baby a little over 2 weeks ago. We went over there for the kids to hold him. Lily loved it and wanted to do it several times. Emma had her turn and liked it but wanted to play more. Peter would come up to the baby and say "Hi baby." I would ask him if he wanted to hold the baby and he exclaimed very forcefully "NO". Benjamin didn't care less which most likely will be different when it's mommy holding and caring for the baby all the time. I don't know if Peter will just be friendly with the baby and not hold her or if he will want to. We will see. Hopefully soon.

Hospital Experience.

I think it's time to document my experience at the hospital. It all started August 13th a Thursday night. I took my blood thinner and bam not 1 minute later I started to get small contractions. It kind of concerned me because it takes 24 hours for the blood thinner to leave your body. So as a couple hours had passed and the contractions started to come on stronger and closer together Jonathan and I thought it would be best to go to the hospital to stop the contractions. Jonathan's mom came to our house and we went. When we got there the Dr. had already left orders for me to get trabutalene and I got my first shot. It started to work but quickly wore off, so I got another shot. It did the same thing and by now my heart was beating out of my chest (that's one of the side effects). So they gave me another shot which made me feel even worse but this time it gave me the major shivers. It didn't work either by the way. So my Dr. called me up and told me that we would need to admit me and give me Magnesium Sulfate which is a very nasty drug and worse than the trabutalene. I was really upset as my Brother in laws wedding was the next morning and I didn't want to miss it. But that is what was going to happen. Then I got settled in a room and started on an IV of this stuff. I didn't think it was that bad. It made my face really hot, I couldn't see to clearly, and since it is a muscle relaxant I was really weak. But the important part is that it stopped the contractions. The plan was to keep me in the Hospital until I was 35 weeks and I was 34 weeks at the time. At 35 weeks they would test the lungs for maturity. But during that week I was there I started to break through the medication and have contractions that would stop on their own. On Tuesday morning I started to have small contractions that throughout the day got worse and worse. I was still on the Magnesium and it wasn't stopping. I was really feeling like I was in labor so I called Jonathan to come to the Hospital to be with me. The nurse checked me and said I was at 2 cm which I was completely closed just a couple of days before so the contractions were doing something. I was also getting this really bad pain at the top of my stomach that came with the contractions. Eventually I was moved to L&D thinking we were going to have the baby that night. I was told that I wouldn't be taken off the Magnesium until I was 3 to 4 cm. Soon after I went to L&D guess what happens my labor starts to slow down. I would think that would happen considering I was still on the Magnesium. My Dr. comes in and thinks I was having a gallbladder attach. It's decided that I got back to the antipartum unit and get a ultrasound in the morning on my gallbladder and if that is alright I get to go home Wednesday night given that I don't contract the next day. Wednesday morning I get the ultrasound and everything checks out just fine. As I waited all day for the Dr. to come in he finally comes in and is stumped as why I was having such a bad pain in my stomach. It could have been the Magnesium that caused it. He tells me that I could go home and that I would have to be seen twice a week for monitoring as I'm off the blood thinner because it is too risky and if there is a problem with the baby it would be gradual and we would spot it before it became a really big problem. So that is where I'm at right now. I'm like a ticking time bomb. Every twinge I feel or look of pain I have on my face Jonathan is ready to go to the Hospital. He's so excited for the baby to come. Personally I'm really leery about when the time comes and I'm having major contractions. I've experienced this and my body loves to start labor and then stop. But with the blood thinners I was more cautious, and didn't want to risk anything. But now that I'm not on them I will really have to be in a lot of pain for me to go in. So that is my Hospital Experience and it was really hard to be away from my kids. But I'm glad that the baby has had more time in me to grow so it was good that I was in there for so long, but not something I ever want to repeat.

Pregnancy Journal Week 35

Ahhhhhhh!!!! I'm home and so glad to be here. This last week has been HARD. Being in the hospital with no baby to show for it is not what I wanted. I didn't want the baby to come early either. But now that I was away from my precious children for 6 days I have come to love them even more (if that is even possible). I would often cry myself to sleep just thinking about how I wouldn't be able to bring my girls to school in the morning and get Benjamin his bottle first thing in the morning when I was barely awake. I missed cuddling Peter during the day. I missed having Jonathan there with me every night. I had so much help it was incredible and I'm so grateful for that. I'm glad that we have modern medicine to keep my baby in me to grow and develop more. Right now I'm no hurry to have this baby. I want as big as a break from the hospital as I can. I need to establish some stability in my home for my children. I know it's been really hard on them. They were taken care of so beautifully while I was gone but they need their mommy. Right now I'm sore and stiff from not walking for 6 days. So I'm going to take it easy the next couple of days. Oh I'm not on bed rest any more which is good. If I go into labor I go into labor. But I'm not going to in courage it at all. I'm just so glad to be home and with my family.

Still in the hospital.

Here I sit/lay in a hospital bed trying not to give birth to my baby that isn't due for 5 1/2 weeks. On Thrusday seconds after I gave myself a blood thinner shot my contractions came. It worried me a little but not much. Fastforward a couple hours and they are 2 to 4 min apart and even a baath won't slow them down. Jonathan had to convience me go to the hospital. We waited for Jonathan's mom to come and be with the kids. (btw this was the last night that this needed to happen. James my brother in law was getting married in the morning) We get to get asessed and see what was casuing the contractions. They tried to give me a turbutaline shot and it started to work but soon it stopped working so I was givin 2 more shots of that stuff and little relief and nothing. So then the bug decisison is here. Dr. Seal decieded to admitt me to the hospital and put me in the antipartum unit of the hospital. (that's where premie ladies are) They have me hooked up to magnesium solfate to stop my contraction, and it's done a pretty good job until last night when I was getting pretty regular and pain full contractions. I was given a sleeping pill last night that helped with the contractions, and gave me sleep. Now I'm awaiting the offical word if I'm going to be in here until my baby is born. I might be here awhile.

Pregnancy Journal Week 34

Crazy week 34............... So Sunday morning I started with the contractions and I think nothing of them. They start getting worse so with lots of prodding from Jonathan we went to the hospital again. There I was given a shot to stop the contractions. It helped but it made me feel awful. My Dr. put me on bed rest and I saw him today to see if I still had too. So here comes to today. Guess what BED REST ugh. Until further notice. I can't really do bed rest with 4 children at home. I know I can do my best and take it easy. Also at my appt. the Dr. put my name down for an induction for this Sunday. It really freaked me out the whole time I waited for him to talk to me. He came in and said I'm not inducing you, you are not ready. So they had to call the hospital to change the name. I think my Dr. is getting a little old, or just over worked. So I got a little excitement for today........ not that I need it....... sheesh. So as far as I know I'm going to 38 weeks if my body allows. But nothing is for sure........ and that is for sure.

Pregnancy Journal Week 33

I'm so confused.............. last week my Dr. told me that I would be getting a certain test to predict if I would go into labor within 2 weeks. Well I had my appt. today and I asked about it and they said that I'm too far along and that the results would be inaccurate. HUH? Why did you get me all worked up about them for the last week. (I have to admit that my Dr. is getting up there in age and a little forgetful. He asked me if the baby was active 3 times within 5 mins. during my appt, haha). I don't want to have this baby in 2 weeks. I would rather 4 to 5 weeks, so making me think that the possibility was there worried me. It's not an accurate test anyway but....... why get me worked up. With my infection I still have the increased risk of going into preterm labor. I'm just flying blind here. I thought that if I got an negative result on the test I could rest easy for 2 more weeks but........ nope I guess not. Oh well I'm really not that worried about having her early. I have 4 weeks to go to be considered full term. I just have to discipline myself to not do too much. I'm measuring a week behind but that could be the baby is in a certain position. I'm still dilated 1 cm and effaced the same. He's not too worried about me because I didn't dilate more over the last week. As too what is the outcome of this pregnancy your guess is as good as mine. I know she's going to be healthy, and that things will turn out ok. But I just don't know what is going to happen leading up to the big day and when. I guess that is what pregnancy is....... unpredictable.

Let The Drama Continue!!!!

Soooooo I spoke too soon. I went to the Dr. today due to my issue I stated in yesterdays post. Also I had contractions all night last nigh. Ok back to my appt. Ugggghhh I was checked for a UTI and nope not that. I have a different kind of infection. It's a kind that causes preterm labor and your water breaking prematurely. My Dr. also checked me for dilation. I'm already dilated to 1 cm and 50% effaced. Not very good when your are still 8 weeks from your due date. That's about where I was when I went into labor with Benjamin. So I'm to take a antibiotic (it doesn't mean it will help me not going into labor early either) and next week Dr. is going to do a test to see if I'll go into labor within the next 2 weeks. Fun fun stuff huh! So I need lots of prayers that this little baby will stay put for at least 5 more weeks.

Pregnancy Journal Week 32

This week has been good. No troubling contractions...... until last night. They are gone now so that's good. I may have a UTI (tmi I know) So I get to go the Dr. tomorrow. Yeah for me (insert sarcasm here). Having a UTI is bad during pregnancy as it can cause preterm labor and I don't need that. I still have at least 6 weeks to go and I don't want anymore hospital visits. All will be well though. It was funny the other night Jonathan called me and told me we have to start getting ready for baby. I haven't been in too much of a rush. Isn't the other way around? He says how very excited he is for the baby to come. I'm excited too but I'm a little overwhelmed. It's going to be interesting having 5 kids. I'm very excited that I get to have a baby room. This is the first time I've been able to have a baby room. We were renting when Lily came and she shared with the office. Then it was the kids always sharing rooms after that. But now since we put up a wall in the loft and made an extra bedroom I get to just have fun and make a girly baby room. I'm not in too much of a hurry as she won't even be in it for a while. Well we are in the home stretch and I'm so ready to be at the finish line.

side note: I'm stopping the monday memories for a little while. I'll start it back up when I'm not so overwhelmed with back to school stuff.

Pregnancy Journal Week 31

Baby sucking her thumb

Baby face shot

I've had a calm week this week, and I'm grateful. I had an appt. today and it went well. It was a uneventful appt. I asked again when I would be induced, and if I had to be. He said that I have to be and it would be the week of 9/9/09. So I'm going to have the baby around 2 weeks early. Yeah I only have 7 weeks to go instead of 9. I mostly can't wait until I'm off of this blood thinner. He was thinking of inducing me at 39 weeks but since I have gone early in the past he doesn't want to go past 38 weeks. I'm happy because I don't want to have this baby to close to Emma's birthday which is the 19th. Also mine is the 7th but it's ok if I go close to my birthday. Lots of birthdays in Sept. Ohhhh so busy. I have another appt in 2 weeks and then I have to visit the vampires again. I probably have to go get blood work 2 more times and then I'm done. I know this has been a challenging pregnancy but as long as the outcome is a healthy baby I wouldn't change it. Everything happens for a reason, and I'll take what comes to me and trust it's for the best.

Monday Memory #21

Emma's 2 months old in this picture. I loved this picture, and still do. She was such a pretty baby and now a very pretty girl. It's funny how she still gives us this look all the time. I love Emma she is such a sweet helpful little girl that has such honest desires.

Pregnancy Journal Week 30

I only have at the most 10 weeks left. I can count them on 2 hands. After last weeks scare I've been trying to take it easy. I don't want anymore of that. I'm just glad to have this little baby baking for many more weeks. I asked when I would be able to go off of the blood thinners and he said that I go off of them 1-2 day before I deliver. When would that be. It's kinda scary to think that if I don't get off of them before I go into labor there could be major bleeding issues. I'm just paranoid I know. I think everything is going to be ok. Other than contractions and some nights of no sleep (like tonight..... seriously I have yet to fall asleep and it's 5:18 in the morning) everything is going well. Baby is moving around just great. I haven't been using my doppler because I just feel her move. I'm still going to the Dr. every 2 weeks and getting blood work every 4. Pretty soon I'll be going weekly. I'm sure I'll miss certain parts of pregnancy once I'm done. I'll miss feeling a baby inside of me. I'll miss the excitement Jonathan and I get when we talk about the new little person that we have the pleasure of raising. How she will get along in the family. I wonder how Peter is going to react. How Benjamin is going to cope with having to share mommy with yet another sibling. What the look on Emma and Lily's faces will be when they first see the little sister they are so excited to meet. Knowing that this is my last pregnancy. That this era of my life is coming to a close, and I'm able to concentrate on a new era. I'm ready..... I'm ready to be a mother of growing children and not growing children in me. I've been so blessed to have so many of them. But after all the complications I've had, it's time... and I'm at peace with it all.

Monday Memory #20

Emma's blessing was wonderful. It was November 2, 2003 and we had lots of family there. It's always nice to have so many priesthood holders in the family to participate in such a special ordinance. It's so weird to see us as only a family of 4.

L&D

On Wednesday day/night I was getting some pretty intense pressure in my pelvis, and some contractions. I didn't think much of the contractions, because it's a regular occurrence for me. The pelvic pressure wasn't. It was something I would only feel right before I would give birth to my children. So it concerned me some but I didn't want to jump the gun just in case it was nothing. After it kept me up the entire night, and didn't go away that morning I decided to call my Dr. after some advice that I should. I left a message with the nurse and tried to lay down the best that I could with 4 kids needing to be looked after. I was still feeling this constant pressure, and starting to get uncomfortable contractions. The nurse called back a couple of hours later and told me that I needed to go get monitored at labor and delivery. UGHHHHH not this again. Seems like a repeat of Emma. I went in so much with her. I don't think my body likes to be pregnant in the summer. So after dropping off my kids at my sister in laws house my mother in law drove me to the hospital and Jonathan met me there. They hooked me up to the monitors and tried to find out what the problem was. They said I didn't have any contractions the whole time I was there, but I did. I think they had the contraction sensor up too high on my belly. It's ok, if it showed they would have given me this drug to stop them and that stuff is horrible. They stopped on their own anyway. They did an ultrasound and I got some great pictures. (I'll post them later) Miriam is weighing 2lbs 14oz at the moment. After a while they said they couldn't figure why I was having this pressure and sent me home to go to my dr. so he could do another ultrasound to see if he could solve the mystery. The next day I go to the Dr. and he does an ultrasound and sees that the babies head is laying right on my cervix and the last time I went in which was a week ago she was laying across my belly. So the pressure was most likely from her moving to head down position and putting pressure on my cervix. I have to be more careful and not stand for long periods of time, stay out of the heat, and not carry Benjamin too much. It's going to be hard because I just want to get things done right now. But a baby born 10 + weeks too early is not a good thing. So the drama of this pregnancy continues and tune in next week to see what happens. Hopefully nothing.

Pregnancy Journal Week 29

Wow I only have at the very most 11 weeks left. I remember when I hit 11 weeks. I'm so glad that it's coming to an end. It will be weird to stop getting shots daily. Don't worry I'm not going to miss it at all. This week has been pretty much the same. I'm still feeling a little off from the blood sugar issues. Pregnancy hormones haven't been to kind to me (or Jonathan). I'm nice to Jonathan but I got a major craving for ice cream tonight and demanded that he get me some sugar free kind. So that is where he is right now being a understanding husband that wants to have a happy hormonal wife. This is the first time I have been taken over by the craving monster, and I hope the last. I have an appt. next wends. and I hope that it is very uneventful. I still get contractions every other day. Last night they hurt a lot. Maybe I'm just a wimp, and oh I know I am a wimp. I have very little pain tolerance. I still don't understand how I gave birth to Peter completely natural. The thought of if just gives me nightmares. I just know that epidurals are my best friends. Other than the aches and pains of pregnancy I'm really enjoying feeling the movements of my baby and imagining what she's going to look like. I'm excited to doll her up. I've missed having a pretty little baby girl. My older pretty little girls are so fun, but just the thought of a baby girl is exciting for me.

Monday Memory #19

This is Emma's first bath. I have never yet had a baby that screamed so loud and for so long as Emma did. It sounded like we were torturing this poor baby. She hated it something fierce. She loves baths now.
Oh and Emma can be somewhat dramatic as well.

Pregnancy Journal Week 28

OHHHHH the drama this week has been. I'm just glad that I'm still alive and kicking......... I know I know drama. Really it's been a hard week. So starting Saturday while at the Temple I was having pretty intense contractions, and the poor lady next to me was like "are you ok? Do you need to leave." I assured her that this was a normal occurrence for me and I would be fine. I was fine and had a wonderful time there and enjoyed going to the Temple. Then throughout the weekend and into Monday I was feeling really sick. I would get really dizzy and feel as if I could pass out any second. On Tuesday I went to get my 3 hour glucose test done and during the 2nd hour draw I started to get really dizzy I told the nurse I wasn't feeling well and she helped me up to go lay down and the next thing I know I was kneeling by the bed saying I'm ok I'm ok. She said no you're not and helped me up to lay on the bed. So apparently I fainted. There is a first time for everything. I felt awful the rest of the day and Jonathan practically waited on my the rest of the day. I have a wonderful husband just so you know. Then comes to today..... I find out at my Drs. office that I have hypoglycemia. I have to eat every 3 hours, and stay away from sugar. The sugar part is no big deal for me, but the eating so often is going to be very tough for me. I'm just glad that I have an answer as to why I have felt so awful this pregnancy. I didn't want to make a big deal of it. I know why I have been so weak, and dizzy all the time. I'm just so glad my Dr. is watching out for me. He says I'm just so complicated, and I agree. Oh baby is moving around just great. I'm measuring right on time. Just 12 weeks to go at the most and I'm counting down.

WAHHHHHH!!!!!! (again)

No they didn't get my labs wrong......... Boy I wish they had. I failed the gestational diabetes test. Now I have to go into and take the 3 hour test. I have to go in and get my blood drawn four times. My aunt suggested that there is a vampire there that really likes my blood because they are draining me of it. If I fail this one I have gestational diabetes. UGHHHH what next. I have everything under the sun this pregnancy. I feel as if Heavenly Father is saying you are done...... count your blessings and be done. So I'll update as soon as I find out what my fate shall be. You know it's ok to be alittle dramatic when you are pregnant. It comes with the territory.

Monday Memory #18

Lily loves her new baby sister. It was so sweet seeing Lily finally warming up to Emma. At first Lily didn't want anything to do with me or Emma. She got over that and they have been best friends ever since.

WAHHHHHHH!!!!!

The lab didn't get enough of my blood yesterday so I have to go in again. Why do they mess up with me all the time. I told them I was on blood thinners and that's the test they didn't get the blood for. This is the second time they have done this. Maybe I should go to another location next time.

Pregnancy Journal Week 27

This week has been a good week. I haven't had very many contractions............ until tonight. It seems when I do alot I get them. I had my gestational diabetes test today. It wasn't so bad. I didn't get as sick as I thought I would be. But I'm scared I got a message after I got home from the lab I got the test taken at today. They were already closed so I couldn't call. I'm so scared they did the test wrong and I have to redo it. It's happened before at this lab. I so hope not. Good news is that with our new insurance my blood thinners are 35 dollars a month compared to 135 dollars we were paying. YEEESSSSSS. That was pretty expensive. I'm feeling the baby move more. Just watch I'm updating that she doesn't move very much next week. It seems as if she is very sporadic in the frequency of her movements. I'll get a ultrasound in 3 weeks if my Dr. doesn't change it again. I can say that I'm in my 3rd trimester. I'm so excited that the time is coming to an end. I just want this baby out and I can be sane again. Hormones are rough aren't they. I love that I'm able to be pregnant with all my problems, but I'm just ready to be done. Also babies are so much funner out rather than in.