Week 40 came and went with no labor story to speak of. Each day I was certainly getting more and more impatient. Part of the reason was because I was so anxious to meet Abigail. The other part was that I was getting more and more physically uncomfortable day by day. The pain and pressure on my pubic bone was becoming more debilitating and was making it hard to even walk without hurting. I was having off and on bouts of nausea that I could not pinpoint to anything else but the pregnancy. And the wait was kind of liking expecting Christmas, and then the day coming and being told it was not time yet. Maybe in one more day.... or NINE!
At my 40 week checkup, I was measuring around 35 weeks physically and up 30 lbs total. My blood pressure was just a tiny bit high for me (119/? I think, it's usually under 100). I was dilated between 2-3cm. I had 2 more nights of false contractions but nothing exciting otherwise. My next checkup was at 41 weeks and 2 days. I had a non-stress test performed and Abigail was doing just fine. My blood pressure was back to normal and I reached 31 lbs of gained baby weight. My usual midwife was out of town on vacation so I saw another one of the midwives in the office. I expressed my fears and worries to her about being so overdue, being Group B Strep positive and it being my fifth baby, wondering how quickly I needed to get to the hospital. She calmed my fears, checked my dilation (which was then between 3-4cm) and we decided she'd "stretch" me a bit to see if we could get things going. Otherwise, I was scheduled for an induction three days later if nothing happened beforehand.
Fast forward about 5 hours (approximately 4pm). I was having really strong contractions but they were not at all regular and they were really far apart (think 20+ minutes). I kept telling myself that they were probably more painful because of the procedure she'd done that day and I was being very active around the house, likely just increasing my Braxton-Hicks contractions. Yet as the time went on, I began to think maybe this was really it. They were still not consistent but were becoming very painful - enough so that I'd excuse myself to another room so I didn't frighten the kids. My husband got home from work and got dinner prepared for us (I was not feeling up to it). By the end of the meal, I told him I was going to sit down and start timing these contractions and see if they'd stop when I rested. Well, they were still all over the board time-wise but they certainly didn't stop. My doula suggested I head on in to the hospital as soon as they were less than 10 minutes apart because of my quick labor history and the Group B Strep. By 7:45pm, we were headed out the door with bags packed ready to have a baby!
We arrived at the hospital without much excitement. We parked in the regular parking lot as I had plenty of time between contractions to walk to the ER. I checked in, feeling completely silly as it didn't "look" like I was really in labor from outside appearances. My contractions were still pretty far apart and I know the staff probably thought I was crazy. I made it a point to tell them this was my fifth labor and my midwife told me to come on it. I was taken to my room and after about twenty minutes, the antibiotics were started to treat the Strep.
Now here we were. James, my doula Betsy and myself, hanging out in the L&D room, commenting on the beautiful Louisville skyline from my window, and waiting. Just waiting. As is typical of my labors, things were going pretty slowly at this point. My contractions continued to come hard when they came but there was much time in between. Betsy kept telling me we needed to get them to pick up and I kept arguing with her. I told her I wanted this baby but I didn't want the contractions. hahaha... She reminded me that it was a package deal. I paced around the room a bit, rocked a little on the birth ball, listened to my YouTube Labor and Delivery playlist, played around on Facebook and texted friends and family. My babysitter laughed that I was texting her about details while in labor. Well, I'm just weird like that.
About 10pm, our friend and photographer Kara showed up. We were planning to text her when we knew how far I had progressed but when I hadn't responded, she decided to just go ahead and join us. And it was a good thing she did. Around 10:30, things really started to pick up. My contractions had finally zoned in and were coming approximately every three minutes and hard. The nurse came in and told us that we'd have to do a full strip on the baby monitor at 11 and if I wanted, she could check my dilation then. So that was our plan. My body started shaking and I couldn't control it. Historically, that means I'm in transition. About fifteen to twenty minutes later, I was crying. Again, historically, that means the baby is coming ASAP. When the nurse came in at 11, she checked me and I was 8.5cm dilated. My doula and I explained to her that whatever my dilation, this baby was coming VERY soon. On the next contraction, I told her I could feel her head and she quickly ran out and grabbed the midwife (who was prepping to deliver another baby elsewhere).
Nurses crowded around and I lay on my side to push. As of this point, my water had still not broken and there was talk of Abigail maybe even being born IN it. That would've been cool. However, as her head pushed through, the water broke and out she came. There may have been 2 pushes? I was actually asked to slow down because her hand was up by her shoulder and they wanted to be careful that I did not get any tears. If you've ever been asked to slow down or not push at this point, you know how ridiculously absurd it sounds. HOW do I do that?! I was silently a little freaked out at this point because I did not hear any crying. But everyone else seemed calm so I tried not to let my imagination get me. Just moments later, she was placed on my chest and was indeed crying and healthy!
So Abigail Grace was born at 11:16pm on Monday, October 6. She was my biggest baby at 6lbs, 15.5oz and 20in long! We can't figure out which of the other kids she looks the most like but she was the first to get her Daddy's lips (and not my thin ones). So from the first set of contractions to delivery was about 6-7 hours. However, the hardest part of labor was really only 2-3 hours long at most. We were not able to get the full round of antibiotics in during the preferred time range. However, my pediatrician pointed out that my bag of waters remaining in tact would have protected her through the birth canal and was even a blessing in disguise really. She was my first baby without ANY jaundice and we even got to check out sooner than 48hrs as long as we brought her back the next day for her final hospital checkup.
I can't believe it finally happened after being 9 days "late." We're so excited to have her on the outside and the kids are totally smitten with her. Thank you for all the help and prayers along the journey. It was a joy!
*If you're interested in seeing pictures from labor and delivery, click here.
**For newborn/family pics, click here.
Showing posts with label Pictures. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pictures. Show all posts
Thursday, October 16, 2014
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Weeks 37 & 38: Sickness Central
Whew boy! Has it been crazy around here these last few weeks. The Tuesday before Thanksgiving, Benjamin started vomiting. He would be the first of four in the family to get a nasty stomach bug. There was always about a day of no one vomiting before the next began. About 13-14 days later, it seems to have finally left the home! It couldn't leave without a gift though and now we all have coughs. Fun times! BUT, I'd rather have a house full of coughs than tummy troubles!
Thanksgiving was really a great day. We had lots of yummy food, rest throughout the day (before Hannah began getting sick that evening), and fun times with my family. I LOVED having them all in my home and fortunately none of them took the stomach bug with them. Check out pictures here.
So specifically for pregnancy updates. My week 37 visit was pretty smooth with one big exception. Everything looked great and I was actually "tape measuring" 36 weeks with 1/2lb weight gain. However, my Strep B test came back positive - NOT cool! I've never tested positive and so it was actually a bit of a shock to me. With Strep B, they hope to have an IV antibiotic administered twice during labor: once and then again four hours later, if time permits before delivery. This reduces the chances of the baby contracting the bacteria. My midwife knows my last few labors have been pretty short ones. So she told me that as soon as I was convinced I was in labor, to head on to the hospital to get it started. I guess every pregnancy needs it's story.
My week 38 visit was also fairly laid back. No weight gain thanks to my own contraction of that stomach bug and I was back to measuring barely 34 weeks. The visit was actually on the last day of my 38th week. I went ahead and had her check for dilation since there've been a few body things going on that've made me wonder if labor was approaching. She said my cervix was completely closed. That would normally have been disappointing at this stage but considering we still had that stomach bug in the house, it was actually a bit of a relief.
There are the big updates for weeks 38 and 39. If I don't go into labor early, I'll try to get week 39 up a little faster! By God's grace, I've had no false alarms yet!
Until next time...
Take care,
Terra
Thanksgiving was really a great day. We had lots of yummy food, rest throughout the day (before Hannah began getting sick that evening), and fun times with my family. I LOVED having them all in my home and fortunately none of them took the stomach bug with them. Check out pictures here.
So specifically for pregnancy updates. My week 37 visit was pretty smooth with one big exception. Everything looked great and I was actually "tape measuring" 36 weeks with 1/2lb weight gain. However, my Strep B test came back positive - NOT cool! I've never tested positive and so it was actually a bit of a shock to me. With Strep B, they hope to have an IV antibiotic administered twice during labor: once and then again four hours later, if time permits before delivery. This reduces the chances of the baby contracting the bacteria. My midwife knows my last few labors have been pretty short ones. So she told me that as soon as I was convinced I was in labor, to head on to the hospital to get it started. I guess every pregnancy needs it's story.
My week 38 visit was also fairly laid back. No weight gain thanks to my own contraction of that stomach bug and I was back to measuring barely 34 weeks. The visit was actually on the last day of my 38th week. I went ahead and had her check for dilation since there've been a few body things going on that've made me wonder if labor was approaching. She said my cervix was completely closed. That would normally have been disappointing at this stage but considering we still had that stomach bug in the house, it was actually a bit of a relief.
There are the big updates for weeks 38 and 39. If I don't go into labor early, I'll try to get week 39 up a little faster! By God's grace, I've had no false alarms yet!
Until next time...
Take care,
Terra
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Week 17: Vacation Fun
Week 17 was nice. We were one vacation in Crestview, Florida (a small, mostly military town near Destin). It's where James grew up and his parents still live. We try to make it down there once a year, so it's nice to look forward to. James' mom was in the Philippines this year so we missed her and her usual cooking. However, she had us more than taken of with the help of another Filipina and we certainly ate well regardless.
I think most of us can agree that we usually feel we need a vacation from our vacation because we tend to stay so busy doing things during that time. This year, I felt it was a really nice blend of doing and resting. We made it to the beach twice, visited the Armament Museum, did a small bit of shopping, kids watched a movie at the theater, ate out a few times, enjoyed some fireworks but mostly just hung out and enjoyed one another at the house. We watched some Olympic trials where the kids became fascinated with the gymnasts and started tumbling around the house. The swim meets had Hannah temporarily adding "swimmer" to her long list of things she'll be when she grows up. Her favorite part of the entire trip, hands down, was the pool at my in-laws. I think she would've been content there the entire time! Going to look into getting the older kids into swim lessons I think. Of course everyone else came back with nice tans and I came back with more freckles. :)
The biggest downside for me during the trip was that I had a headache every, single day. That was not fun at all. I think it was my regular watching of the giant TV there. I typically watch very, very little TV. I've been fine since being home, praise God.
We drove there and back - overnight, as opposed to our usual flying. By God's grace, it was mostly smooth and to my surprise, the kids did very well with it. We came back to our AC not working on the second floor of our home, thanks to the week of temps over 100. We're hoping to get it fixed soon. In the meantime, the kids have been sleeping on the first floor with us and we're grateful the weather has gotten a tad cooler.
I've been noticing the baby moving around more. Still small movements but becoming more noticeable. Always fun.
Until next time, check out our vacation pictures here.
Take care,
Terra
I think most of us can agree that we usually feel we need a vacation from our vacation because we tend to stay so busy doing things during that time. This year, I felt it was a really nice blend of doing and resting. We made it to the beach twice, visited the Armament Museum, did a small bit of shopping, kids watched a movie at the theater, ate out a few times, enjoyed some fireworks but mostly just hung out and enjoyed one another at the house. We watched some Olympic trials where the kids became fascinated with the gymnasts and started tumbling around the house. The swim meets had Hannah temporarily adding "swimmer" to her long list of things she'll be when she grows up. Her favorite part of the entire trip, hands down, was the pool at my in-laws. I think she would've been content there the entire time! Going to look into getting the older kids into swim lessons I think. Of course everyone else came back with nice tans and I came back with more freckles. :)
The biggest downside for me during the trip was that I had a headache every, single day. That was not fun at all. I think it was my regular watching of the giant TV there. I typically watch very, very little TV. I've been fine since being home, praise God.
We drove there and back - overnight, as opposed to our usual flying. By God's grace, it was mostly smooth and to my surprise, the kids did very well with it. We came back to our AC not working on the second floor of our home, thanks to the week of temps over 100. We're hoping to get it fixed soon. In the meantime, the kids have been sleeping on the first floor with us and we're grateful the weather has gotten a tad cooler.
I've been noticing the baby moving around more. Still small movements but becoming more noticeable. Always fun.
Until next time, check out our vacation pictures here.
Take care,
Terra
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Vacation and Disney
This is probably the longest I've ever gone without posting on our blog in the 4 years I've kept it! Hopefully the sabbatical will not continue. :)
We just returned from a nice vacation in Florida. We visited James' family near Destin and with the blessing of his parents, even hit up Disney with everyone. His sister and her family flew in from Hawaii and it was a great time. At Disney, we checked out Magic Kingdom, Epcot and Animal Kingdom. We stayed in a super nice 4 bedroom town home in Orlando that had incredibly reasonable rates. The kids were spread throughout the rooms so it wasn't too overwhelming for anyone. The first 3-4 days we were there, it rained and rained. The 10 day forecast called for scattered and isolated thunderstorms EVERY day. But by God's grace, it stopped and we enjoyed beautiful (though super hot) weather most of the rest of the trip! I've posted tons of pictures online so check them out if you're interested here and here.
Vertigo has been clear. I was officially released from care again unless I have another relapse. That's a blessing! I'm currently undergoing physical therapy for some long standing back/shoulder/neck issues. I've got a great deal of exercises to do from home to help with that. I was doing them very consistently until we went to Disney, then all was lost. Started up again today. After carrying kids around constantly those few days, I feel I may have undone most of what I've accomplished progress-wise. We'll see. Back to work!
It's funny that summer always seems like it'll be the laid-back time of year. Then it comes and goes just as crazy as the rest of the year! I can't believe it's almost August. By the end of the month or early September, I'll begin homeschooling again. Fun times!
Until next time...
Take Care,
Terra
Terra
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Lots of Pictures!
Hannah's 4th Birthday Party: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150191666137100.302929.607147099&l=785e3e13df
May Pictures (including Hannah's actual bday, Sleepovers at Memaws, and the Princess Tea Party): http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150174503757100.297900.607147099&l=1b72d02e60
June Pictures (includes our trip to Adams, TN): http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150191675292100.302930.607147099&l=fb92cc2ab8
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Hannah's Magazine Debut
We really didn't expect to see Hannah on the cover as she really didn't want her picture taken that day. And yet, lookie here... a friend pointed it out to me. :)
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Winter Pictures
LOTS AND LOTS of new pictures over on my facebook page. Enjoy!!!!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=258742&id=607147099&l=90f063c0c9
Take care,
Terra
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=258742&id=607147099&l=90f063c0c9
Take care,
Terra
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Christmas Pictures
Lots of Christmas pictures added to my December Album on Facebook. Check them out here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=251053&id=607147099&l=4d06f7af91
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=251053&id=607147099&l=4d06f7af91
Monday, December 20, 2010
Snow Fun!
These videos and pictures are from about a week or so ago. We got our first decent snow (about 3-4in). This was before we got a layer of ice on top of it a few days later. :p
See pictures here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=251053&id=607147099&l=4d06f7af91
Enjoy!
Terra
See pictures here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=251053&id=607147099&l=4d06f7af91
Enjoy!
Terra
A New Camera!!!
Can I even begin to tell you how exciting this is?! :) I LOVE taking pictures and my camera was on it's last leg. It was literally being held together with electrical tape!
Thanks to the combination of several birthday and Christmas gifts, I have a new toy! My husband also helped with choosing a camera (he works in media and electronics at Meijer) and letting me know when the sale happened. Most of you know how big I am on saving money. The camera retails for $279.99 at Meijer. After a sale, a $20 coupon and our 10% employee discount, I got it for $171 after taxes!
Whoo hoo! Be prepared for lots of GOOD pictures in the future! Just in time for Christmas and just 7 weeks from Sophia's due date!
Take care,
Terra
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Halloween Fun!
Some pre-Halloween fun! More pictures coming soon!
Click on the picture below to see them. :)
Take care!
Click on the picture below to see them. :)
Take care!
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Lots of New Videos on the Way!!!
Okay....so I've finally gotten some videos and pictures updated! Starting tomorrow, you will see one new video per day if you check out the blog. :)
Today we celebrated a wonderful and beautiful Resurrection Day!!! Praise the Lord for Jesus Christ!
For now, Easter and other April pictures... Enjoy!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=165937&id=607147099&l=ce55b74860
Take care,
Terra
Today we celebrated a wonderful and beautiful Resurrection Day!!! Praise the Lord for Jesus Christ!
For now, Easter and other April pictures... Enjoy!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=165937&id=607147099&l=ce55b74860
Take care,
Terra
Sunday, February 28, 2010
More Pictures
I'm FINALLY uploading some more pictures. :)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesandterra/
Enjoy!
Terra
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesandterra/
Enjoy!
Terra
Saturday, January 9, 2010
MORE snow fun!
The fun continues! Two more videos and a few more pictures. :) Enjoy!
Pictures:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesandterra/
Take care,
Terra
Pictures:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesandterra/
Take care,
Terra
Friday, January 8, 2010
Snow days!
So we've gotten lots of snow these last 2 days (about 4-5 inches). Hannah LOVES it! Here are pictures and a few videos...
Pictures:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesandterra/
Pictures:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesandterra/
Take care!
Terra
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
A few new pics
There are a few new pics, videos and such on Flickr.
Click here for the latest: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesandterra/
Please also be in prayer for me. I have a really bad sinus infection. Pray I trust the Lord in the meantime and lean on Him for strength and comfort. I praise Him for antibiotics and pain killers. :)
Take care,
Terra
Click here for the latest: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesandterra/
Please also be in prayer for me. I have a really bad sinus infection. Pray I trust the Lord in the meantime and lean on Him for strength and comfort. I praise Him for antibiotics and pain killers. :)
Take care,
Terra
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