Introducing Katelyn Storm

Just a few quick photos of our precious girl. Full birth story to follow. It's been a long three weeks.

Baby is Coming!!

UPDATE: New plan: Induction is moved to tomorrow afternoon. Baby is doing fine, monitoring was great...though no real physical changes in Mommy (darn it). So time for some rest (ha!), and then we'll do this all over again tomorrow. Please continue to send good thoughts and prayers.

................


So....


I'm being induced tonight at 8pm!


Wow, so totally not what I was expecting.


Please, please send good thoughts and prayers. I'm nervous, and praying everything goes well, and quick!

Still here, still waiting...

I'll be 39 weeks on Monday. CA-razy!

I'm definitely feeling more pressure, back aches, and lots of movement down low. That, my friends, is the strangest feeling - to experience your baby's head moving around in your pelvic area.

I think I had some real contractions last Sunday. 3 in a half hour. Then they stopped. I think I had some more on Wednesday. She's definitely getting ready. I'm praying and crossing my fingers she either comes before our house closing (on the 18th) or anytime on or after her due date on the 22nd. Hubby is holding out for the Fourth of July. I think I might physically harm him if she waits until then!

I'm still having the NST's and ultrasounds weekly. And so far, they've all been perfect. It's so funny to go in week after week for the u/s and to have the technician once again try see this little girl's face...she always, always has her little hands over her face. At this point, the technician has given up on even trying for a 3D u/s picture.

No weekend plans, though I'm sure we'll do some more packing and cleaning, gearing up for the big move. It's so exciting!

Before I go, I'll leave you with this delightful photo of my dear sweet nephew, Luke. He has recently started karate, and yesterday he won a trophy for coming in second place in a sparring activity. Isn't the proud look on his face just priceless?

Thankful and blessed

Photo courtesy of: flickr

It feels like Fall. The sun is out and shining brightly, but the air is a little cool. It reminds me of sweater weather, pumpkin spice coffee, and pumpkin muffins. Yum! I know we haven’t even had summer yet, but this weather is making me nostalgic. As much as I love it, fall doesn’t last long enough in my opinion. If only we could bypass winter…

We did lots of packing this weekend. On the one hand it seems so soon. On the other hand, we close in 18 days. I think just seeing the majority of our belongings in boxes and living in such a bare apartment is what is most difficult. But, it will be here before we know it, and perhaps even before then we’ll have a little one to boot!

I had about an hour and a half of strong Braxton Hicks contractions on Saturday, coming about every 5 minutes apart. I think everyone around me was getting nervous and excited, thinking things might be moving forward. I reminded them that this could be the case for the next few weeks; I could have contractions for awhile but not go into active labor right away. Things settled down after I had some dinner, and a few glasses of water – I think I may have just been dehydrated. Braxton Hicks take my breath away. I talked to my doctor about this, but he said it was normal. I joked with him that I hope it’s not the same way with active labor – I can’t be struggling to breath amidst the pain and pushing. Anyone else experience trouble breathing with BH contractions?

This baby has hit the full term, 37 week mark today! How very exciting! I had hoped and prayed to go this far with the pregnancy, but didn’t know if I would with all of the complications I’ve had. I’m very thankful and praising God for allowing things to progress to this point.

TGIF!!

Happy Friday. Seriously, TGIF!

I haven’t been feeling much like myself the last few days. I’m a little stand-offish, as noted by coworkers, but I think my body is just going through some pregnancy-related changes, and I’ve just needed some space and quiet time. I’ve had some back pain the last few days, showed some irregular contractions on my NST on Thursday, and have had some strong Braxton Hicks lately. I know it’s just my body gearing up for the big day, whether that be in the next few days, or weeks.

Speaking of which, I’m getting more and more nervous about the big day – specifically, labor and delivery. DH and I watched the video Laugh and Learn about Childbirth, since we weren’t able to make it to childbirth classes, and to be honest, I’m more nervous now than I was before I watched them! Guess I should have listened to my husband’s advice that ignorance is bliss. I think it’s the fear of the unknown, and worrying about things that could go wrong. With all the complications I’ve had with this pregnancy, it all makes me even more anxious. I just hope and pray for a safe, complication-free, quick and easy, and pain-free as possible labor and delivery. And that my little girl is 100% healthy with no complications, health, physical, or mental issues.

This weekend’s plans include finishing packing the hospital bag (it’s almost done, and some things will need to remain out until the day of, as I use them daily), picking up the apartment (so hard to be motivated to do when you’re a few weeks away from moving), and doing some packing. I can only hope that I have the motivation and energy to make some good headway on these things. I’m definitely looking forward to sleeping in a bit tomorrow, as I haven’t been sleeping well the last few nights.

What are your plans for the weekend?

Reminders...

While meeting with the baby’s pediatrician for the first time, we discussed the history of the pregnancy. I don’t think I truly realized all that we’ve been through with this pregnancy until I “shared my story.”

• Scary, massive bleeding mid-December. I truly thought I was going to lose the baby.
• Bed rest – 3 months of it, from December until mid-March.
• Diagnosis of Placenta Previa. Told I would most likely need a c-section to deliver the baby at the end of the pregnancy.
• Diagnosed with Anemia. Put on Iron pills for the remainder of the pregnancy.
• Failed the first Glucose test that I took. The 3 hour glucose test showed I was on the borderline for one of the tests. I met with a nutritionist and put on a sugar-free, low carb, only water and 8 ounces of milk allowed, eat-every-couple-of-hours diet.
• Diagnosed with Oligo (low amniotic fluid) *Numerous non-stress tests and ultrasounds to monitor the baby.

Phew! And this pregnancy isn’t even done yet!

My doctor has recently shared with me that he is proud of where I’ve been and how far I’ve come. Apparently he was very worried that I would lose the baby with all of the troubles I was having early on. He said he wouldn’t have told me that during the time, but looking back, he really thought I would lose her. That was difficult to hear and comprehend.

On Monday, I will be 37 weeks and full-term. I’ve dreamed and prayed for this moment. Especially all those months when I was on bed rest, or was experiencing complications.

Soon I will meet my little miracle baby.

How to Make a Baby

In case you were wondering...

(very cute, and not at all offensive)