Move

I am going to start posting everything on our family blog. See you there.

www.everydaywrittings.blogspot.com

Love is in the air....

It was just like any other day. I went to work, came home and made dinner. Steve and I had been relaxing on the sofa when he decided to head to bed. It was 8:15 pm. I had gotten up to lock up the house when all of a sudden my pants were wet, almost as if I had peed my pants.I stood there for a minute thinking maybe Charlotte had just kicked me in the bladder and I had lost control of it. I went and laid down, and not 10 minutes later it happened again. So, I got up and put on a panty liner. 5 minutes after that I filed it up. I went through 3 more before I made up my mind about what had happened and that I needed to get to the hospital. I went and woke up Steve, we gathered my bags, and the camera and off we went. I got to the hospital at 1020p and checked in. After a 20 minute assessment they told me I had in fact ruptured and that I would not be going anywhere.
From there I progressed pretty slowly. When I went in I was at 1+ so they started me on patopsome. After an hr I was at a 2 after that I was 4. This is when I asked for my epidural. My contractions were still pretty irregular, but strong. Once I had my epidural and it kicked in, I was able to get some sleep. When they came to check on me after an hour, I had already progressed to 7.
My doctor had been on call since 7 the previous morning, and was soon going to head home and see his kids off to school. Around 7am Dr. F came in before he left to check on my progress.In the hour since he has last seen me I was at a 9. So in 2 hours I went from a 4 to a 9 and I slept through it all. Not bad. He decided he would have me push just to see how I would do and see what would happen. Well, after that one push I was told to stop. Next thing you know he and the nurse were pulling things from the cupboards, getting the lights ready, and everything else they needed for baby. 6 sessions of 3 interval pushing and she was here. It went extremely fast.


Charlotte LaRue Nash was born March 3rd 2009 at 740am. She weighed in at 7lbs 7oz. She is absolutely prefect and we are elated to have her here with us. She has been a very calm baby, sleeping 4-5 hours straight at night. She has started feeding more frequently, and is a lot of fun to have around. She coos when she sleeps. She loves it when you talk to her and responds back with smiles. She is just beautiful,and is loved by so many.

Thank you to everyone for all your well wishes and offered help. I am sure I will take you up on your offer soon. We are so blessed and thankful for all our family and friends. Also, for little Charlotte who is our life.

Time

I know...I really need to get on here and post about everything. When steve gets home tonight I promise I will try and get a few lines written about Charlotte and her birth.

For Ed and Betty

Here she is. Your Granddaughter

Sick

Steve is sick sick sick.

Lets hope Charlotte waits until he is better.

Week 38 Check-up

Nothing too new to report.

I am at a 1+ and my cervix is effaced to 70%, where are last week I was at a 1 and 50% effaced. Dr. F. says it could be anytime, but still plans on seeing me next week.

I know....kind of a boring update. Maybe next week I will go in and they will admit me because I am so far along. Here is to dreaming.

Week 38

I am just large from every angle. It seems my morning sickness has returned. I forgot how unpleasant it is. At least it is not all day like it was in the beginning. This has been such an easy pregnancy, but the last week has been rough. With my stomach being upset, the leg cramps, and constantly being uncomfortable I am getting glad to be near the end. Sometimes I still can not believe that we are having a baby. It is almost surreal. Charlotte's room is ready for her, and both our bags are packed for the hospital. So, I suppose and I am as ready as I am going to get.

Cramping

Over the weekend I had the worst leg cramps. The cramps started early Saturday morning, lasting all day and night into Sunday. I thought I had avoided them all together, but I guess I was wrong. My legs are still sore today. I am already uncomfortable today as it is. The sore legs and leg cramps are just the icing on the cake.

Love

Being that I have just under 3 weeks left, I really need to stop to relish these moments a bit more. This pregnancy has just flown by. There's so much I love about being pregnant: I love feeling her kicks, her consistent hiccuping, my ever-expanding belly. The way she responds when I talk to her while rubbing my belly.I love that I get to have my baby with me 24-7, watching my stomach ripple as she moves. The anticipation of having her here and being able to hold, and smell her. This has been a great experience, it is hard to believe that it is almost over. Soon she will be here and I will have a entire new list of things I love.

Week 37

WAITING
There is nothing new to report this week. I am still sitting at a 1. He did say my cervix is soft enough and the right size to have the baby. So ....it could be 3 days, or I could be pregnant for another 3 weeks. Charlotte is still growing which is good for her but what about me? I expressed my concern about having a large baby and he asked me how much I weighed. Well I asked my mother this morning and I was about 8.5 lbs. Steve was just over 6 lbs so lets hope she weighs somewhere in the middle. As long as she is healthy.
For the last week I have had some stomach discomforts, and it is getting old.I am going on day 6 now. At first I thought it was something I ate over the weekend, but Steve did not get sick. I mentioned this to Dr.F and I seems I am not the only pregnant patient of his who have this same problem. He said that he had about half a dozen patients tell him the same thing. I am making sure to drink a lot of water so I do not get dehydrated.

That is the latest.

All in All

I have loved being pregnant. You always hear such horror stories of how terrible pregnancy is. Some people just have it bad. I have been very lucky to have had no complications.

Some Perks:

I was able to wear a lot of my pre-pregnancy tops till about 8 months.
My stomach did not get huge until 8 months. It was out there, but not like it is now.
No strangers have come up to me and touched my stomach.
I pretty much eat what I want, but I still watch what I eat. I do splurge here and there, but make sure I drink a lot of water, and eat a good amount of fruit and vegetables.
No trying to mask my belly. I can just let it all hang out.
Buying and decorating the Baby room has been a lot of fun. I probably spend too much time in there now. I am in there every night.
Some say I have not gained any weight in my face (that is a great thing)

Some not so great things:

Heartburn - I have it all the time now
Frequent trips to the rest room. It seems like I spend half of my day there.
My hips hurt after lying on one side too long. I try to lie on my left side most the time to maximize blood flow, but I can not do it all the time.
Fat feet
Limited Clothing. I have 4 pair of pants the fit right now.
Trying to get up off the sofa is a task, and getting in and out of the car.
Being exhausted after going to the store.
Becoming out of breath after climbing a flight of stairs. It makes me feel so out of shape.

This has been a wonderful experience, and I hope that I can do it one or two more times. This pregnancy has gone by so quickly, and I am a little sad to think that it is almost over. The pregnancy may be almost over, but the journey is about to begin. Being that this is our first child, we are excited and nervous about the unknown. We are lucky to have a lot of family and friends who have offered great advise, and have offered to help out any way they can.Charlotte is already loved by so many.
We are both so excited that Charlotte will be here soon, and we can hold her in our arms.

Rocker

Steve got home a little early this evening and guess what was int eh back of that car. A ROCKER. I fianally have a rocker. He picked it out himself. I had no idea that I was getting this. I was planning on using a rocking chair that my mother has. This will be much better. The wood matches the baby room perfectly.
This is steves baby shower gift to me. He was hoping to have all put together and in the room for when I got home from the first baby shower, but....the chair was a little late in arriving. I love it and it is very comfortable. My body totally takes over the hair, but in time I hope to slim down.

I LOVE IT !!!

Do these 2 things go together?

Last night I walked into the TV room and Steve was watching James Bond and reading American Baby. I thought it was cute.

Week 36 check-up

The check-up went great. Dr. F. did a quick ultrasound to check on the fluids around Charlotte and to make sure she was not breach any longer. She has turned and is now head down. He showed me a close up of her face and she looks like a keeper. She has a little button nose, and pouty lips. Her eyes were closed, and we were hoping for a yawn, but she was sound asleep. I am right on track, and am dialated to a 1.

Week 36

I do not like this picture. Can you say HUGE? I may need to take a new photo.

Weekly Shots

Here is a little collage of all my belly shots from week 4 through current. This journey has gone by so quickly. I am so glad I took a picture of my growing belly every week. It is fun to look back over them.

Just 4 more weeks and Charlotte will be here. Crazy!

It's here

Baby Shower # 2

 

Baby Shower # 1

On Saturday January 31st I had my first baby and it ended up being a lot of fun. I did not enjoy being the center of attention, but I managed to make it. There was a pretty good turnout. I was so afraid I would be the only one who showed up to my shower. Our afternoon started of with a light lunch of a variety of delicious salads and orange rolls.(I had a second helping after everyone had left). Next were the gifts. My family and friends were too generous. Char got a lot of adorable clothes. Some were so adorable, I got 4 of one dress and 2 of another. All I know is she will be the best dressed gal in town.
Susan had brought some blank, non patterned quilt squares for everyone to write a comment on. She then is going to incorporate those squares in a baby quilt she is making for Charlotte. Susan makes the best quilts. I an excited to see the finished product.
I was a great day, and I felt very loved.

I am lucky enough to have another shower coming up on February 7th thrown by my dear friends. This will be one for the books. My guess is they are going to share horror stories and try to scare me.

Thank you Shannon for all the pictures you took. Without you I probably would have none to remember the day.

Snail Mail

It is in the mail.
My parents bought Charlotte her stroller, and I can not wait for it to come in the mail. It shold be on my door step any day now.

Week 35

Ouch!
For the last week I have had Braxton Hicks, but these last few days they have grown somewhat intense. Some of them take my breath away. They are the most painful during the night, but I have them all day long. My stomach gets so hard, and it becomes uncomfortable.
Charlotte's movements have stayed pretty constant, although I can tell she is running out of room. Some of her movements are pretty suttle, but other times it is like she is going crazy, and my stomach jiggles all over the place. She continues to press on my bladder all the time. I think she getting anxious to come into the world. I am pretty sure that she has finally turned, and is now head down, but we will find out for sure on February 11th.
Day by day my maternity pants become more snug and uncomfortable. I am constantly fidgeting with them. I wore my fist pair of full panel pants the other day, and I think it was my last time. They were itchy, and my stomach would sweat some. I felt like I was wearing my underwear all the way up to my chest. They were awful. With only 5 weeks left there is no point in going out and buying more maternity clothes. If I could wear lounge pants to work that would be the best.
My week in a nutshell...My stomach is getting bigger everyday. My co-worker told me I had fat feet, and my neighbor finally said that I am looking pregnant and not just fat.

Week 34

Week 34 check-up

I just got home from my 34 week appointment and things went great. Char had a heart rate of 140, and I am measuring right where i should be for as far along as I am. One piece of good news (for me anyway) was that my weight did not change. I ate light today just for that reason. Now that my appointment is over I can pig out :)

Also, we discussed Char being breach. Dr. F. did some pocking around and could swear that she is head down and not breach. So, in 2 weeks at my 36 week appointment Dr. F. is going to do a quick ultrasound to make sure. If she is still breach than it looks like I am headed for a c-section. Trying to turn the baby out of the breach position is not really successful with a first pregnancy. So....that is where we are at on that, and in a few weeks I will know what I am in for.

Are we all excited for Charlotte to make her appearance? I know I am.

Finishing Touches

Well...it seems the baby room is coming right along. We got the shelves hung, and a few pictures. I still have a vinyl lettering saying that needs to be put up. I am really happy with the way the room ended up looking.

Week 33

My emotions are out of control and I cry over everything. Poor Steve. I wobble from the time I get up in the morning until I go to bed. My maternity pants that once fit and were comfortable, are now snug and I am constantly fighting with them. My non- maternity shirts that I have been able to wear are now becoming belly shirts, making it ever harder for me to get ready for work in the mornings. Sitting on the sofa comfortably has become a thing of the past, and I am missing real Diet Coke more and more. My snacking has become more frequent, and I hate it, but I figure when else can I eat what I want when I want it. ALos, it seems that something has been lodged in my rightside of my ribcage for the last few days. It is so comfortable.
Hard to believe Charlotte will be here in just 6 short weeks. Her bag for the hospital is all ready to go, and mine is half way there. When it is time to go , I will throw that last needed items the bag and head out.

For Shannon

Since my dear friend Shannon keeps telling be to post a belly shot , and the first one I posted was considered cheating . Here is another one.

Wrong way

At the test we discovered that Charlotte is in the breech position. This would explain why I am always feeling her kick low, and a lot of my family and friends have not been able to felt her kick. The nurse doing to test did not seem to concerned , since there is still plenty of time for her to turn on her own. This is something I definitely will bring up will Dr.F. at my next appointment. I hoping for the best that nature will take over, and she will just turn naturally. I would hate to have Dr.F. and his nurse stand over me and try to turn her.

Test results

Things went great at the test this morning. She has a strong heartbeat.Her base line heart rate was 135, and it peaked at over 150 bpm several times, so she passed the test. The best thing about the test was just sitting there listening to her heartbeat. I think I was in the chair for 30 minutes. They recommended doing kicks counts too, so I will start those this week.

I found this to be funny

Reassurance

Reassurance is going to have to wait until tomorrow morning. I am scheduled for a NST(Fetal Non-Stress Test). This came about at my 32 week appointment yesterday morning, when I raised concern on some decreased movement. At my Dr. appt Charlotte had a strong heartbeat of 140 bpm, and is measuring right where she should be. The decrease in movement could just be she is running out of space, and sleeping a little more, but better to be safe and get her checked out. The fact that I am feeling her move is positive. If she was not moving at all we all would be very worried. My appt is at 930 tomorrow so I will let you know what I find out. I hope it is all positive, and she is healthy.
Can you believe she will be here in just 8 short weeks?

There is no way

So yesterday was my first dr appt which was not in the morning. When I got on the scale I wanted to die. It said I have gained 8lbs in 2 weeks. It just can not be....how can that be. Yes I ate lunch and I drank alot of water but 8lbs. I am just sick about it. I was going to weigh myself this morning before I ate, but I forgot.

Maybe I should just embarrass the chubbiness and eat what I want.

Week 31

Belly Shot

That is one big white belly

More time

I need more time. Day by day I am becoming more stressed. There is still so much to do at the house, and at work to get everything ready. I think my main sense of stress is coming from the workplace. The owners do not realize that my time here is running short and before they know it I will be gone for 3.5 months. They still need to decide on my maternity since we do not have one here. Go figure....and insurance brokerage that does not have a maternity plan laid out for their own employees. There is so much training I need to do, but of course it is on stuff that is only done once a month. The more training I get done the less they are going to call me with questions. When I take a vacation I here from work every time. I do not want to worry or even think about work when I am home, but they make it hard for me.
There are still small things that I need to do at the house like buy a dresser, get some shelves and pictures hung. Charlotte has a crib to sleep in and clothes to wear so if she is here before all the things in my head get done, at least those 2 things are ready for her.
Shannon,if you travel those 12 floors down to come to my office to visit me and my door is locked....I am probably behind it crying.

My emotions are out of control lately.

Week 30

Crib