Making Progress

We'll Carrie was induced last night.  She was in a lot of pain all night but is finally able to get some rest.  She has been such a Trooper and I am so proud of her.  She is progressing well and should get an epidural soon!!!  We'll keep you informed

Jordan

Here We Go!!!!!!!!

Well, Carrie and I are at the hospital and she has been induced.  They gave her some Cytotec.  It's mean to help induce labor.  We are so excited, we can't stand it.  Right now we are sitting in our room watching Friends and listening to Laney's heartbeat.  We'll update with more later!!!! 

Laney may be here SOON!!!

Well I am 39 weeks today!!! I can't believe my due date is just one week away!

Yesterday, I went in for my routine check up. I hadn't been feeling too well that day or the night before. The nurse took my blood pressure and I was surprised to see it at 147/85. I had been taking it at home, but it seemed to be staying pretty low. That pressure is high for me, because I am normally about 100/60. I wasn't under any stress at all. In fact, I slept on the way to the appointment :). When my doctor came in she looked at my blood pressure, and then checked to see if my urine had protein in it. Well it had +1, which is minimal, but with the high blood pressure she wanted to do some more testing.

We began discussing our options and she said that I should stop working for sure, and that she thinks we should induce this week!!! INDUCE labor?!?!? I couldn't believe what I was hearing!!! I looked at Jordan and he was about to jump out of his seat with excitement, but I was SCARED TO DEATH!!! I haven't been that scared in a long time. I was not expecting to hear that, and even though I know I am having a baby. I guess I just try not to think about it, and I was so nervous. My whole body turned PURE RED. Jordan said I looked like I was so excited I was glowing, but I was so scared I thought I was going to puke. I guess it was just unexpected.

Inducing is not something that I would ever choose or even ask the doctor to do. I know two people that have had horrible experiences with this, but I know many others that have had successful ones. I do know the C-section rate is higher, and all odds against me I will have a C-section anyways. I just picture getting induced and having days of labor, and then a C-section. I would honestly rather just begin with the C-section. I know I am crazy :) Maybe I can talk my OB into that ;). 

So at the OB office I laid on my left side for about 40 minutes. They took my blood pressure a few times, and monitored Laney's heartbeat. It seemed her heartbeat was doing great, but my blood pressure was not dropping. With the high blood pressure, protein in my urine, and me having flu like symptoms our OB decided to send me to the hospital for further evaluation. She said that if my blood pressure did not decrease while I was laying down they would probably induce me that night. If it did go down, she is thinking she would like to induce me on Thursday or Friday, because she is on call and she is worried my symptoms will get worse. If I wasn't full term then they would just put me on strict bed rest, but when Laney is fully developed there is no point in waiting with high blood pressure. 

We head over to the hospital and they put us in a triage room. The nurses were AWESOME and made me smile. I was still a little nervous, but I was starting to get use to the idea of meeting my little girl REALLY SOON! I just wish we had our bags there, and I could have kissed my puppies good bye! 

So she took my blood pressure 145/115.. WOW that was REALLY high. She used a different cuff, so that can throw it off. However, it normally doesn't throw it off that much. She told me that I don't get to go home with blood pressure like that. Well, I started to relax laying on my left side. Again they monitored Laney's heartbeat the entire time and they said our baby looks beautiful. They also monitored my contractions. I was there for 4 hours, and I only had TWO. They took my blood pressure a few more times, and it finally went down to 125/65. Much better! They also did blood test and urine test. Everything was raised slightly, but seemed to be ok. After being there 4 hours they released me. 

Then when I got home I took my blood pressure and it was 137/97. Oh great, it was getting high again! So I laid down, and in no time it was going back down. It sounds like I am just going to have to be lazy and lay around until I get induced or this little one arrives on her own timing.

 Oh yes, I forgot to mention... at my OB appointment I was checked and I am hardly dilated and Laney's head is still very high. Which already puts me at a slightly higher risk for C-section. Once I found all of this out, I was starting to get excited about the induction, because it sounds like Laney is not planning on coming anytime soon and I would end up being induced, because she was well past the due date. So why not do it now?!?! I am off work, and I would have more time with my baby. 

So I am home today with Jordan. I have to collect all my urine for 24 hours, so I will be staying at home all day. I called my OB and I am waiting for a call back. At the appointment she mentioned inducing me Thursday or Friday. I called her and gave her all the details from the hospital and my current blood pressures. Now I am just waiting to hear. Will they be inducing me within the next 48 hours?!? or will we just wait? At first I did not want to be induced, but it sounds like that is what is going to happen anyways. So, I am hoping to hear back today or tomorrow morning.

If all goes as planned I will be heading to the hospital tomorrow night. I will stay the night, and throughout the night I will have a catheter that helps to soften/dilate the cervix. Not painful at all... thank goodness :) Then the next morning they will start the contractions. I would LOVE for Laney to arrive on March 6. Her birthday would be 3/6/9 :) Until then we are just praying for a healthy baby and healthy mommy. I am very open to all kinds of birth, and I will not be disappointed no matter how it ends. I am 90% sure it will be a C-section, but I guess we will just wait and see.  I guess that is all for now. Watch for updates... I am pretty sure they have wireless at the hospital. We plan on posting updates and pictures... so keep checking! Laney could be here REALLY SOON!!!!

It is looking like a March baby...

As of today I am 38 weeks and 3 days. I was kinda hoping Laney would be early and be a February baby, because then we could share the same birth month. Unless I went into labor today, and had a very short labor it is looking like she will be a March baby for sure.

I had an appointment yesterday, and Laney is still growing healthy and strong. Her heart rate was a steady 136, and she is still head down. The most popular questions I get is how big is your baby now, so I asked my doctor if she could estimate. Well she felt around for a moment. Felt Laney's head and bottom, and then within seconds said, I would say about 7.5 pounds. She said that is just a very rough estimate though. Jordan and I were talking,  and we think it  is weird to think there is a 7.5 pound baby in my tummy!!! We still think of her looking like an alien, like when they are just a few weeks  old. It is just so hard to imagine such a beautiful creation is waiting in there to meet her mommy and daddy!

My doctor didn't check to see if I have made any progress, because I haven't been having very many contractions and I have an appointment on Tuesday. So next Tuesday, we will see if I am dilated at all. Progress wise, I can tell Laney is dropping. I feel a lot more pressure down there, and I am starting to get sore. I have had a wonderful pregnancy, I have been pretty comfortable the whole time, and even now I am still feeling pretty comfortable. I have not hit a miserable stage yet. Thank you Jesus!!! Also, I have been having contractions on and off, they mostly come when I am moving around, but they are not consistent at all. 

As for work I have everything done that needs to be done! My report cards are finished, the new teacher has all the notes I created for her, and I had parent conferences last week. So I still have one week of work left, my last day is next Friday the 6th. We will see if I make it that far!! As long as my water does not break at school I don't mind working :) It keeps me busy, because otherwise the time goes by SO SLOW! Also, I have a lot more contractions when I am working... so I will update you on Tuesday after my next appointment, unless something happens before then. 

Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we are so close to labor/delivery and entering the stage of parenthood!!!!

Slowly getting to the end :)

Well I had an appointment last week, and the doctor checked to see if I am making any progress. My cervix is still closed, but the baby is head down and ready to go. I was hoping to have made more progress, but I am thinking Laney is comfy in there and doesn't plan on leaving anytime soon. I don't have many Braxton Hicks contractions, just about one to two a day. I am going to start walking more to get this baby moving down and ready to come meet her mommy and daddy. 

I only have two weeks of work left, and I just finished my last task REPORT CARDS!!! I am so thankful to have those done, I would hate to be doing them with a newborn baby and sleep deprivation. :) 

As for my job, I have NO IDEA what I will be doing next year. It will either be part time or possibly substituting a few days each month. We are just trying to pray about it, and see where God leads us. Substituting means giving up my contract, and that means next time I want full time employment I will have to interview. Not something that I EVER look forward to. Our school district is having some major changes, and at this point I wouldn't count on anything. So please keep us in your prayers for a healthy baby girl, speedy and safe delivery, and my job for next year. I have a feeling it may be God's way of keeping me at home with the baby more often, but can we make it financially... hopefully!!! I guess that is it for now :)

9 months down... only a few weeks left!!!!

36 weeks... 9 months complete!! Laney will be here soon!!

Laney's Room with our Hospital Bags... all packed!!!

Laney's Dresser/Changing Table

Someone made these for Laney, aren't they beautiful!

Present Time

More Presents

My cousin painted the same tree on this cake that is on Laney's wall :)

Jordan at my work shower... they got us a travel system!! YAHOO!!

The pregnant ladies at my work... minus Angie! There are 5 of us total?!?

Wanna come drink the water :)

I loved all the cute outfits! I can't wait to see her in them.

Books... a teacher's best friend!

Adorable cake

Snacks at Jordan's family shower.

My mom and I changing a diaper one handed.. I WON :)

It has been a while since I have posted a blog. I have been getting more tired in the evenings after work. I just realized that if I post a blog every week until Laney arrives, I will only have to write three or four more times! 

This week I will be 37 weeks pregnant, which is considered FULL TERM! That means that Laney can be born now, and should be a healthy little baby girl! However, I still have a little more than three weeks until my due date. I am sure she will come late, but for some reason I have a feeling Laney is going to come before her due date. We have a website where you can vote on Laney's birthday and birth statistics. So far Friday the 13th (AHH)  of March seems to be the most popular day. Make sure you go and vote, because we are getting the winner something special!

CLICK HERE TO GO VOTE!!

As for the nursery it is finally complete, and it has our hospital bags all packed and waiting in there. I am hoping to go into labor at home so that Jordan and I can grab the bags and all the odds and ends that we are using and cannot pack yet, like the laptop and digital camera :) Also, we have to take the dogs to my parents and get the house all locked up. I find myself over thinking everything WAY too much. I want our house to be spotless at all times, because you never know when the time will come and I want Laney coming home to a nice clean house. Besides the fact, I won't have the energy to clean for a while once Laney arrives. As I am typing this blog, I just realized I should make sure the heat is on the entire time when we are gone, because I don't want to bring our baby home into a freezing cold house! As you can tell my brain is racing a million miles a minute, because I just want everything to be perfect. 

Throughout the pregnancy I have been dreaming A LOT more than normal, but the past week my dreams have increased! I didn't think it was possible, but each night I feel like I am dreaming the entire night long while waking every one to two hours to use the restroom. Remember Christmas Eve night as a child, that is how I feel every night lately!

I am now going to the doctor weekly, and everything is still looking great. My blood pressure is still down and I am still in the right range for weight gain, but man I sure am starting to gain the wait now.. AHHH :) I guess that is good, because that means Laney is growing. She is suppose to be gaining one ounce a day. I am still feeling really good, but I am starting to get swollen! It really doesn't hurt, but I had to take my wedding ring off. I really didn't want that to happen, but it is better than cutting the circulation off to my finger or getting my ring cut off. I am looking forward to putting that back on! My feet are also starting to become swollen, but my doctor said that is because I am on them all day long at work. I just need to keep my feet up as much as possible, drink plenty of fluids, and try to avoid salt as much as possible. At my appointment next week they will check to see if I am STREP B positive, and I am hoping she might be able to tell me that my cervix is making progress toward labor. :) They look at two things 1. How dilated you are and 2. how effaced or how soft your cervix is. I am hoping that I am slowly, but surely making some progress in at least one of those areas.

Well I think we are pretty much ready. We just have a few things to do here and there, but this week I washed all the sheets, blankets, and cute little outfits! It was so much fun doing her laundry, and I just LOVED when I would clean the lint trap out and it was all pink fuzz!! Jordan says at least once a week, what would we do if it is a boy. This question DRIVES ME NUTS when he asks, but I guess you never know 100% until they are born right. We have all heard stories about this.

I better go get ready... Jordan and I are going to enjoy our last Valentine's Day as a "single" couple by going out to a japanese steak house and a movie. I promise to blog more often as the time comes. We called the hospital and they have wireless internet, so we will have someone post updates as we arrive at the hospital and welcome little Laney into this world!!! We just can't wait to meet and snuggle our little bundle of joy. 

Quick Update

Well everything has been going great, and my belly keeps growing. My last doctor's appointment went very well, and I will be heading back there on Friday. After this appointment I have one week without an appointment and then I will start going every week. My blood pressure is still really low, and my doctor told me I should be very proud of how little weight I have gained :) I am starting to get a bit swollen in my hands, but I think that is pretty common. I think it is because they are always so warm. 

The nursery is coming along great! I plan on finishing that up in the next two weeks, and then I will post pictures. Jordan and I will also be packing our hospital bags in the next two weeks, can you believe we are close enough to be doing that!!! We are VERY excited! 

I am currently 35 weeks pregnant, ONLY 5 weeks to go!!! It is even more exciting to realize that in about 14 days I will be considered full term, and if Laney were born she would be perfectly healthy. Also, now that we are in February we can official say Laney will be born NEXT month!!!  I am thinking she will be a late baby, but I would LOVE it if you would make a guess!!! If you go to the website below you can make your guess for the weight, height, time of birth, and day of birth. It is a really cool website. It actually awards points based on how close your vote is, and determines the winner. Jordan and I plan on buying the winner a prize... so please go there and vote!!!

CLICK HERE TO GO VOTE!!!!!! 

Next week I plan on blogging about my baby showers, the nursery, and being 36 weeks (9 months) pregnant!!! So come back soon and expect to see a lot of pictures :)

Don't forget to take a moment to vote!!!