She's here!

Well, a lot has happened since I last posted! I had my 34 week appointment and everything looked great. My OB was really excited that we got to 34 weeks and baby was measuring 4lb 11oz, right on track. A week later on Saturday, I was exactly 35 weeks and my sweet friend threw me a prayer brunch and a bunch of my friends came from church and prayed over me and the baby and it was a really great day. Someone made a joke about it being labor day weekend and to not go into labor. :) So that night we got ready for bed and I laid down in bed for the night and felt a gush, and then another...and then another. My water broke and I'm blaming it on the full moon we had the night before! ;)

So we threw a bunch more clothes into my hospital bag and we headed out to the hospital. I wasn't having contractions but Benjamin was born 4 hours after my water broke so I wanted to get moving as soon as possible. They confirmed that my water broke and said visually my cervix looked closed and they admitted me. The OB on call wanted to induce me right away but I put them off for over 24 hours. During that time, not much was happening at all. I would have random contractions every 10-15 minutes but they weren't strong. We agreed that they would induce me after 24 hours because it was safer to get the baby out than wait it out since I didn't appear to be in labor. I decided to try the breast pump as a last bit effort because all of the power walking and squats did nothing. The pump put things into high gear and I immediately starting getting contractions that were painful every 3 minutes. My nurse then freaked out (but was still calm) and explained to me that I did way too much and now I was in overdrive and the babies heart rate was deceling because it was too much too soon and if that continued to happen they would do a C-section. So now they agreed not to induce me because we would see what my body was going to do. Over the next 9 hours, my contractions were totally sporadic but painful and the decels mostly went away. After 9 hours they decided to check me finally and to everyone's surprise, I was 7cm! I hadn't slept since Friday night at this point so I was completely exhausted and so ready to be done. The OB really wanted to start me on pitocin since it was now 33 hours since my water broke and things were pretty slow going. I finally agreed because I was just tired! They started me on a very low dose and things definitely picked up and because a little more painful and way more consistent. Now I decided to get the epidural. I'm not sure happy about this decision but I was just too exhausted to keep going. The crazy thing is, pain wise, if Benjamin's labor pains were a 10 (and they were!), this was probably more of a 7. It was all mental, I just couldn't do it anymore with no sleep. So I got the epi and was able to rest for just a bit. Two hours later it was time to push and they turned it off (but it was still totally in my system). I pushed twice during a contraction and her head was right there. We waited for the next contraction...and waited and it seriously wouldn't come. Talk about a strange labor. So they just had me push without one. Another two pushes and her head was right there so my OB had me stop to stretch everything and a few tiny pushes later and baby slid right now. I still tore just a tiny bit in the same spot as last time. She did have her cord around her neck, which is why they said her heart kept deceling. They held the baby out to Rob and he said "It's a girl!" She came out screaming at the top of her lungs, which was so great because at 35 weeks you just never know how the lungs will be. They told me there was a 50/50 chance of her going to the NICU but her lungs were great and she got a 9 APGAR score so they let her stay on my chest for an hour! :) I was so happy about this and she also started rooting and latched on within minutes of birth. The doctors were amazed and said she was doing fantastic for being so early. She weighed 5lb 6oz and was 19 3/4". So she is tiny and super long! We are in the hospital for 48 hours for observation and she is passing all of the tests (no jaundice, no infection, & normal blood sugar) so it looks like we are headed home tomorrow. We are so so excited that she is so healthy for being early and are so blessed to have a little girl. Her name is Eden Grace. :)

God has blessed us with this little miracle from the very beginning and we can't wait to see what is in store for our little girl. She must be one special little lady.

My last belly pic-35 weeks

Ben holding his "baby seester" Eden

32 Weeks

I've been such a bad blogger lately but things have been super busy! We just got back from a week long family camp with our church that was 8 hours away, and then we visited family after that. I am so exhausted but we had such a great time!

Right before I left I had an appointment and was 31 weeks. Baby looked fantastic, cervix looked fantastic and I am still so thankful. My OB was very excited that I was finally past 30 weeks and said it was a miracle. :) Baby was measuring 3lb 11oz...and we still didn't find out who this little one is. It has been so hard not finding out if it's a boy or girl at each appointment but as it gets closer the anticipation is building and I'm getting really excited. I can't believe this baby could actually be here in 6 weeks if it's born around 38 weeks like Benjamin was. That blows my mind a little bit. And I'm SO not ready! I've got a million things to do...and we're in the middle of buying a house. Eeeek! All good problems to have though. I started getting the sciatic nerve pain and numbness down my left leg this week, which I definitely remember from last time too. Not fun at all but if that and some Braxton Hicks contractions are all I have to deal with, I'll take it. :)

I really really don't like this picture of me but haven't taken a belly pic in months so it will have to do.

On another note, we started potty training Benjamin this week. Prayers would be really really appreciated!!!

We made it!

I can't believe it but here we are at 28 weeks, our second milestone! We had our appointment on Friday and things couldn't have looked better. The SCH is still nowhere to be found and my cervix was measuring over 5cm! Seriously, this is unbelievable. I truly believe that God has worked a miracle in this pregnancy. To think that at 11 weeks I was told the worst and I had so many problems that the baby may not make it. One by one, each "issue" has resolved and at 28 weeks, I have a completely healthy baby, placenta, and cervix. And after 17 weeks of modified bed rest, I have officially been released from the couch with instructions to "take it easy". I can certainly do that! :)

I am so so thankful to still be pregnant. And the best part is, I don't have a cerclage, so I technically have a "normal" pregnancy. I do still have a higher risk than the average woman of having my water break, but there is nothing I can do to prevent it so I'm not even going to think about it. And baby, who is still a surprise, is measuring about 2 1/2 pounds. This baby is also super active (but not quite as much as Benjamin) and sleep hasn't been the easiest. I definitely feel pregnant and am starting to get slightly uncomfortable, but honestly, I still feel great! I don't even care that it's 100 degrees and I can barely breath. :) If this baby follows in Benjamin's footsteps and comes around 38 weeks, we'll be meeting our little miracle in 10 weeks! I just can't believe it and I know it's going to fly by. I feel like I have so much to do and I'm so excited that I can actually get up and do it. Yay!!

O LORD my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. Psalm 30:2

To celebrate my newfound mobility, we went on a little last minute trip to South Lake and had such an amazing time as a family. I've never seen Benjamin so happy! All he wanted to do was talk about climbing the "big mountains", play at the lake or swim with his daddy. It was so fun and refreshing!

 

24 weeks

I made it to our first milestone of 24 weeks and things are looking fantastic! The news just keeps getting better and better. :) I had an appointment this week and my cervix was 4.8cm, which is really really great. It's amazing that it is so long and strong at this point, without a cerclage. The baby is still measuring big and is about 1 lb 6 oz. The best news was that there is NO sign of the SCH! It certainly could be hiding but after about 5 minutes of looking and looking, it was nowhere to be found. I am off all restrictions at 28 weeks since things continue to look so great and I am counting down the weeks. I had been getting a lot of Braxton Hicks over the last few weeks and those have decreased a lot. I still get them, but not nearly as many. I can't believe I may get to have a "normal" pregnancy, even if it's only for a few months. I can't wait to actually be able to go and do things and play with Benjamin.

I will say that I need to start watching what I eat. With Benjamin, I gained a total of 27 lbs (not 25 like I had thought) and as of today, I am already up 22 lbs! I seriously can't believe it. I am scared that I'm going to blow up like a balloon, so I better take it easy on the sweets and start eating a little bit better!

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. James 1:17

22 weeks

Almost 22 weeks now and only 2 more to go until goal #1! I had a great appointment on Monday and everything looks wonderful. My SCH is barely still there but my doctor officially said it is no longer a concern. He did say that I have an increased risk or Pprom (preterm premature rupture of membranes) for the rest of my pregnancy, but I already knew that. He also said it's not something to worry about though because it will either happen or it won't and there is nothing we can do to prevent it. My cervix also looked great, once again. It was over 5cm and with pressure it was in the high 4's. This is really crazy to me. When you have incompetent cervix, it doesn't just go away. In fact, your cervix can actually get weaker after each pregnancy. If I get through this pregnancy with no cervical concerns, I will never need a cerclage again and I will officially be healed. Hallelujah!

Baby is still measuring big and at just a few days over 21 weeks was already measuring 1lb 2oz, which is definitely on the large size. I think we're making another big baby! We are still not finding out the sex but I definitely have a feeling. A week or so ago I had a dream that I delivered a healthy, full term little girl. :) This is definitely starting to feel more real and I'm feeling just a tad excited. I made a rule of no purchases until 28 weeks though, so I can't wait for that. My most exciting news is that, as long as nothing changes, I am off ALL restrictions at 28 weeks! No bedrest, no pelvic rest...woo hoo! Of course I will absolutely be taking it easy and probably won't really exercise but I am SO looking forward to being a normal pregnant woman!

I have been looking back at what I wrote when pregnant with Benjamin and am so glad I talked about all of my symptoms. I've been having braxton hicks already for weeks and remembering that it was normal for me is helping. The baby has also been kicking like crazy for weeks now, which I love. This little one apparently has normal sleep cycles and is lazy in the morning/afternoon and more active in the evening, unlike Benjmain, who moved and kicked me nonstop! Another thing that is so different this time is my weight gain. I know I am starting a lot lighter than I did last time but I have gained an insane amount already! I only gained around 25 or so last time and I am already up almost 20 lbs. Eeek!

20 weeks

So I finally hit 20 weeks. Only 4 more weeks until my first milestone and boy is it going by slow! I had my next scheduled appointment this Friday and was trying to go a two full weeks between appointments but I didn't quite make it. I knew these next few weeks would be difficult because I'm creeping up on my loss times with the girls but add in more shooting pains and some Braxton Hicks and I headed in today to get checked out. They say these things start coming on earlier with each pregnancy but really? 20 weeks is a little too early for my comfort! The great news is that my cervix looks fantastic. :) It is long and closed and measured 4.8cm. That definitely makes me feel a TON better coming into these weeks. 24 weeks is just within my reach and I'm praying for peace to get me through it.

Halfway There!

So we are halfway there! I'm actually only 19 weeks but with Benjamin being born at 38 weeks, that means I'm halfway. :) So we had our anatomy scan yesterday and it went amazingly well. We got some great picks of our sweet baby and it looks perfect and healthy, which is all I wanted to hear. My hematoma has also shrunk a bit more and is now only 3.5cmx1.5cm, which is great news and I haven't had any more bleeding in weeks. The best news is that my cervix was measuring over 5cm! The normal cervical length at this point in pregnancy is 4-5cm and I'm even beyond that, so I am thrilled. I know things can change very quickly with incompetent cervix but that is a crazy long cervix so I'm confident that if it started to shorten at this point, we would be able to catch it in time. Over the last two weeks I started feeling some Braxton Hicks and started getting those stabbing pains in my vagina/cervix. If you've been pregnant, you know what I'm talking about. With Benjamin, I dubbed them the "vagina ninjas". Now I know they're normal but feeling those and not having a cerclage gave me a bit of anxiety. I didn't start to feel any of those until way later in the pregnancy last time but I guess they can happen earlier and earlier with each pregnancy. I am very thankful for the prayers this last week because they helped tremendously with my fear. We also stayed strong and didn't find out the gender! I don't know if I'll be able to hold out the entire pregnancy since we have so many ultrasounds, but we're going to try. I'm just so thankful that I'm still pregnanct and I'm bursting with joy that we get to be a part of this miracle. I know God chose us for this and I can't wait to tell our son or daughter how very special they are.

Just saying hi!

  

         Fold up like a burrito with the toes over the head!

Benjamin wanted to be a part of my belly picture. :)