3.12.14/Steady

I am still pregnant as of this morning.  Every day is a different adventure - I happen to have a uterus that loves to have contractions pretty much all day. Luckily they don't seem to be changing my cervix so I am not in "real labor". 

All in all, bed rest hasn't been too terrible.  Between all the text, emails, calls and visitors I really can pass the day fairly quick.  And lets be honest, I can sleep at anytime of the day (any where and pretty much under any circumstance). 

We should get part 1 of some test results today- so fingers crossed they look OK! 

Love you all.   Your prayers are so appreciated. 

3.11.14/31 weeks!

Today there isn't a lot of news to share.  I made it through another day and I am officially 31 weeks pregnant!   I am still getting contractions that are fairly painful, but they aren't super close together at this time. 

This is my 5th day post water breaking which is a feat in itself.  This baby really wants to come out and I feel like it is pure will power (and some clinching?) that is making him stay in for now.  I will  know soon enough what real labor feels like but I do think I have been in mild labor for like 5 straight days. 

I am talking with HR today on my options for leave from work.  I work for a great company but just hope that we can work something out as I don't want to spend my entire maternity leave at the hospital or in the NICU.  Need to save some of it for when he comes home.  I just keep reminding myself that there is a prize at the end of this tunnel.  And I keep making my mom promise it is worth it. :) ha.

Happy Tuesday everyone!

3.9.14/This is hard

Hey Everyone.  Yesterday I woke up feeling pretty good, all things considered.  We had a few visitors,  I went on a wheel chair ride outside (my new version of fun) and took a tour of the NICU.  
It really put it into prospective when I saw the NICU- it did not help me feel better but just a lot sadder.  Realizing that this baby is going to be whisked away at delivery without getting to hold him is going to be rough.  At his age we also just aren't sure what to expect.  It sounds like babies born at 30/31 weeks are on the bubble for lung development.  Some come out crying and some will need help ASAP.

At around 4pm yesterday I noticed some contractions coming on.   My mom was getting into town around 6 and between 5 and the time she arrived my contractions were getting much more strong.   Back went the IV and they put me on Magnesium (which is used in case this was real labor and the baby is coming- to protect brain bleeds in preemies).  The doses are so high that they won't let you get out of bed the entire time you are on Magnesium because it makes you feel like cronk.  Since I couldn't get up, they put a catheter in.  So between having labor contractions, a catheter and magnesium it made for a very long hard night.  Everyone thought the baby was coming (including my self and the docs).  At some point in the middle of the night, I started to feel slightly better.  All of the sudden my body was able to relax and I just knew that I wasn't going to give birth.    So here I am, recovering from the hellish night I had- thankful I still have an inside baby (rather than an outside baby).  I don't know if I can have another night like last again and make it.  I wanted to die.

At this point my doctors say that I will probably give birth sooner than later since my body seems to be "trying".  Tomorrow I turn 31 weeks.  My goal is not even to make it to 32 + anymore but just 1 more day. 

Thanks for checking in everyone. 

3.8.14/ No news is good news!

Yesterday was pretty uneventful which is a great thing. Physically I felt much better (not like I was going into labor) and your prayers are working as both Adam and I were in much better spots mentally.  Do you know the hospital I am staying at delivers between 300-320 babies PER MONTH???? How crazy is that?  And I guess March is a really busy month for them for some reason- everyone has too much fun in June, I suppose.... swimsuits and short shorts.  

The only thing on the docket today is a tour of the NICU this afternoon.  Just to 1) mentally prepare our self for how small this baby will be.  At the ultrasound 2 days ago the weight estimate was 3lb 4oz. If I can keep him in the oven, he could make it to over 4 lbs in the next few weeks potentially. 2) Our birthing class/hospital tour was scheduled for the beginning of April.... so we haven't even seen this place before.   I am going to try to cancel and get our money back. Adam was joking we should still show up to the class WITH our newborn.

Today we are thankful that Baby G is still safe and sound inside of me, we are at a great hospital (the best in Denver for having a baby),  Janon Otto is on her way out today- woohoo for moms!, and I personally am very grateful that Adam works from home.  Which means he gets to hang with me pretty much this whole time at the hospital. 

Prayer request are similar to yesterday:

1) Healthy Baby
2) A baby that would like to stay in there for a few more weeks
3) God to continue to calm our anxiety

*** The goal is 34 weeks, which if I make it is April 1.  Of course I would have a April fool's baby :) 23 days to go!

A very surprising Thursday/3.8.14 Update

I decided to start blogging the updates because between friends and family it is really hard to keep up with everyone!  I so appreciate the texts/emails, etc. keep them coming :)

This past Thursday (30 weeks, 2 days pregnant) I was laying in bed and my water broke.  Not a trickle, like a literal scene out of a movie type of gush.  Strangest/scariest thing when you are only 30 weeks pregnant.  We jumped in the car to head to the hospital, assuming I was going to be having a baby that night.   Once we met with the doctors we learned that this can actually happen in rare cases and they will try to keep the baby in you for as long as possible by slowing down your contractions with medication (the medication works about 80% of the time).  "Best case" is they can take me all the way to 34 weeks pregnant, assuming my labor stops.  About 50% of the people that this happens to can make it a few extra weeks if baby lets them.   I got a steroid shot to help with the baby's lung development, a quick ultrasound, IV, and hooked up to different monitors (one for baby's heart and one for my contractions) and then the waiting game started.  

All night/the next morning my contractions were 2-4 mins apart and some of them were beginning to get painful.  But once they started to get painful, they actually slowed down and then slowly started tapering off- thank the Lord!   I was told I was going to meet with a high risk doctor that day.  Once your water breaks there is no barrier between your baby and outside bacteria (since your amniotic sack protects the baby) so they needed to test me for infections.  Basically if I had any infection they needed to induce me immediately.  This test was going to be through amniocentesis. If you have not been pregnant before, this is a genetic test that is optional preformed earlier in your second trimester where they actually pull amniotic fluid out of your uterus using a needle. It ended up being as sucky as you would imagine.

When we finally met with the high risk doctor they did a few ultrasounds and found some things that were slightly alarming.  First, my water had already broken but I still have more than the average amount of fluid left in me (no wonder it won't stop coming out!!!). This is a bad thing. There are several reasons someone may have too much fluid: 

• A birth defect that affects the baby's gastrointestinal tract or central nervous system
• Maternal diabetes
• Twin-twin transfusion — a possible complication of identical-twin pregnancies in which one twin receives too much blood and the other too little
• A lack of red blood cells in the baby (fetal anemia)
• Blood incompatibilities between mother and baby

Often, however, the cause of polyhydramnios (technical term for "too much fluid") isn't clear.

 Scary list, but obviously some of these have already been ruled out. The bolded are the options that are still pending for me and Baby G- notably, the birth defect option.   Long story short, Adam and I are pretty terrified.  We are going to have a preemie, but then to have the uncertainty of a potential birth defect or chromosome issue adds a whole different layer of stress.  My doc went back through all of my ultrasounds and everything has tested and looked great up until this point (including the 12 week NT scan we did!) so I am just hoping and praying that I am one of the "unknown causes".  We won't know the answers until he gets here or if the amniocentesis results come back before he is here ( takes about 2 weeks).    On the bright side, they have been monitoring baby's heart since I have been here and through all of the contractions, my stress, etc. he seems to be unfazed.  As I am typing this it is 6 am on the 8th of March and I am still pregnant- so that is awesome and all of my tests for infection came back clear so no need to get induced (at least today!). 

I am going to be in the hospital until he comes.  So potentially a month to get me to 34 weeks- I am just starting the morning of day 2 and feel like it has already been a month.  Please please please keep us in your prayers.  We are trying to stay positive but it feels like something in the universe just doesn't want us to have kids (easily).  Not sure what we are supposed to be learning from this just yet. 

 I'll update this as I know more.  

Main prayer requests: 

1) a healthy baby

2) to have Baby G continue to hang out for as long as possible safe in my uterus (they said each day he stays in is equal to about 3 days he won't need to be in the NICU)

3) Sanity for Mom and Dad!!  

A real babymoon!

If you read our getting pregnant story, I mentioned how our St. John trip was supposed to be our babymoon.  Once I got pregnant for real I was excited to book a "real" babymoon.  We decided on Hawaii for a few reasons.  1) It was the US.  If something were to happen, our health insurance would be accepted.  2) Adam had never been to Hawaii 3) I wanted an active trip.  I knew I wouldn't be laying by the pool sipping pina coladas on this trip so having other stuff to do was a must!

We traveled to Kauai for 8 magnificent days and stayed at the Koa Kea Resort and Spa (which we LOVED!).  We have decided we are definitely the boutique hotel type of people as all of our favorite hotels have been boutique style.

Highs:

- First and foremost, getting 8 uninterrupted days with each other.   Adam and I really love traveling together and getting a break from the real world was needed.

- The food. I mean, I am pregnant so this was obvs a high.  We had a lot of good meals & ice cream daily.
- Our hotel.  The service was the best I have experienced maybe ever.
- Sporting my bump.  People are just really nice to you when you are pregnant.

- The Na Pali Coast.  Unbelievable. We must go back and hike much further.

- Getting warm sun when it was snowy and freezing back in Denver
- Our original rental car was a Town & Country minivan (apparently we are already getting profiled) that was light blue. We named it Sparkles. And it wasn't near as nice as this picture below.  Ours was leaking fluid and the check engine light was on.

Lows:

- Adam got a stomach bug the 2nd day we were there and spent the majority of the day in the room, while I had an epic pool day and got fried:)
- Rain.  The weather wasn't perfect and complaining about the rain in Hawaii isn't really something to complain about, but we could have done with slightly less rain.
- Honestly, I am starting to get comments about how big I am.   Not to be a loser, but when you are asked if you are 8 months pregnant or if you are having twins it kinda makes you feel like a COW.

And some faves...

We literally were hiking to a random beach and stumbled across this sign.  Of course, I was actually freaked out. 

The fruit in Hawaii is delicious.  Tangelos are my new favorite fruit. 

Saw lots of these beauties! 

Surfers everywhere.

I still think my most favorite place so far is St. John, but Kauai is a very very very close 2nd!

(Brag time: Adam was published in Men's Fitness today! Very exciting! One hour per week that can change everything)

6 months pregnant!

I am 26 weeks pregnant, which is 6 1/2 months pregnant if there are 4 weeks per month.... but only just about 6 months if I am actually counting the months.  Which is it?  Lets just say I am ready to meet this baby!!   

Overall, my pregnancy has been pretty good.  I was never that sick, things seems to be on track but I am definitely not that girl that LOVES to be pregnant.  I think all the waiting I had to do to actually get pregnant really made me anxious for the actual baby.... so I could skip pregnancy and be completely OK with that!  I hate to say I have complaints because I am not complaining but if I had to narrow it down to the 2 most unenjoyable parts of my pregnancy here  they are: 

* Braxton Hicks.  Holy moly.... all the time, non stop recently. 

* Early in pregnancy (maybe around 16 weeks) I was working out and felt a small pop in my abdomen muscles.  My very top right one.  I know I either pulled it or potentially tore it.  Not a big issue but since I am growing like crazy it won't heal and just keeps getting worse and worse.  To the point where I am super nervous to see how my last 14 weeks go with it.  I have nightmares that my muscles are tearing apart inside of me and I can't even touch the area because it feels so bruised.  There is really nothing I can do about it either.  

On a happier note: this baby moves ALL of the time. Enough to where it will wake me up in the middle of the night which I kind of love.  I felt him at exactly 19 weeks, 3 days at about 10 in the morning and I will never forget the moment.   And thank you thank you thank you Amy Landers for the doppler.  I love listening to his little heart beat!  

I went back through my early pregnancy pictures and thought I would share some good ones!  

Transfer Day!!! Do I look pregnant yet? 

                Our Embryos. One took- one didn't make it                              Ready to be knocked up! 

LOTS OF SELFIES! 

Right around 12 weeks

17 weeks

18 weeks

20 weeks.  When I went from no bump to a definite bump! 

22 1/2 weeks

25 weeks!

And the baby!!!!! (had to post this... practicing on my new OBaby app)

I kind of went from 0 to 60 on the bump meter.  Enough to be asked by a Doctor in the grocery store if I was 8 months pregnant.  And someone else to ask if it was twins!! Always makes a girl feel awesome... :) 

Babymoon update is coming next!  Fourteen weeks left... I can do it, I can do it.