She's Here!

Alexis Danielle has made her way from her heavenly father's arms into mine!! She was born March 27, 2008 at St. Mark's hospital. She weighed 9 lbs 1 oz and 20 inches long! She is a BEAUTIFUL baby.

I was scheduled to be induced at 7:00am on Thursday, March 27, 2008. When I arrived they hooked me up to all kinds of monitor and set up an IV (not my favorite part!) At about 8:00 they broke my water. After a few hours of nothing happening they started me on pitocin. (This was roughly 12:00.) My contractions started building but would NOT make a steady pattern. So I had the pitocin going up and down and up and down to try and get it to work. At about 3:00 I decided that I couldn't take it any longer and got me an epidural! (Not nearly as bad as I had imagined it to be thank goodness.) My contractions were still strong but they were in a "dysfunctional" pattern. The nurse decided to check me a final time and get the doctor's opinion. It was about 5:00 and to everybody's surprise I was ready! So then at 5:30 I started pushing! I was doing well and make some progress in the first hours. By the second hour however, I could not make her budge! So the doctor and I sat down and faced the inevitable.... I needed a c-section! My husband cried as the doctor discussed it. I cried as soon as the doctor left. I tried SO hard to get her out and I couldn't! So Luther grabbed my sister's husband Scott and they gave me a priesthood blessing to comfort me. Then it was time to go in! I was terrified! I was shaking so badly. I had my c-section and I survived!! :)

THURSDAY!!

So I went to my scheduled Dr's appt today. After "checking" me she found that I am 3cm dialated and am 90% effaced. (With no signs of any labor pain thank goodness!) So she finishes that up and asks when we had last had an ultrasound. I told her the beginning of the month. She looked through my chart and saw the part where the ultrasound estimated my baby's weight to be 7 lbs 4 oz. So she grabbed her calendar and said well at a half a pound a week your baby is in the high 8 lbs by now. She said, "I have set up an appt for you to be induced for Thursday and after checking you and approximating the baby's weight we would be safe going for it if you are ok." She explained the added risk of a c-section. I decided that I would rather try pushing her out sooner when she's smaller than later.
To make a long story short... I am going to be induced at 7:00am Thursday morning. So if everything goes as planned I get to meet my baby girl in 3 days!! Hooray!!

Two and a half hours in Labor and delivery

So today I went for my follow up appointment to see if I would test positive for toxemia. I had my BP, weight, and urine checked. I had a moderately high blood pressure, I hadn't gained any weight, and I spilled a minimal amt of protein in my urine. So to be on the same side my doctor sent me down to labor and delivery for further testing. I had to wear a dumb hospital gown! They hooked me up to a fetal monitor and a contraction monitor. I had my blood pressure taken every ten minutes. I had to give yet another urine sample. I had to have my amniotic fluid checked. The worst part of all was they had to take my blood!! They couldn't get it out of my arm so they had to take it out of my hand! I nearly vomited! I HATE giving blood samples they make me uber nausous and light-headed! Well after all of the tests everything looks fantastic! I love the fact that I am healthy but hate it when all that time is spent doing tests and I end up perfectly fine! Oh well! I guess I will still play this waiting game and hopefully she won't be to insistant on an extended stay! ;)

Excited, nervous, I don't know!!

So tomorrow may be the BIG day! I don't want to get my hopes up but I don't want to be unprepared! My bags have been packed for a couple of weeks now. Tomorrow I will have to grab toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, and deodorant to take with me just in case. I am cluttered with so many different emotions and I don't think any is stronger than another.
Excitement: I can't wait to meet my little girl and with the possibility of her coming SO soon I can't help but be excited!
Anxious: Although it is soon I am a bit impatient!
Cautious: I don't want to be too excited just to have my hopes crushed and be sent home to wait.
Worry: I hope that if I have toxemia it isn't severe to the point that it has affected the baby!
Fear: This is my first so I have the right to be afraid, I have no clue as to what to expect. That scares me to death.
Relief: I love the idea that this may be the light at the end of the pregnancy tunnel.
Remorse: Will I miss being pregnant? Will I miss having my daughter so close to me?
Humility: I am so touched to have the opportunity of doing something so miraculous.
Spiritual: I know that I will be able to feel the connection between heaven and earth and I can't wait!
Tomorrow will be a rollercoaster ride for me. I can't wait for the thrill but there is that little something that I fear.

Preggo Pictures!!

The last one is my belly at 36 weeks! It's a monster now!! Hopefully this baby will come soon I don't think I can get any bigger!! :)

Toxemia?

So yesterday I went in for my 38 week appointment. I was weighed (gained another 2lbs), gave a urine sample, and had my blood pressure taken (higher than normal) by the nurse. The doctor comes in and checks my feet and hands and sure enough they were swollen! She asked if my face seemed swollen I told her that I hadn't really noticed. (Now that I have actually thought about it my face has swollen as well!) Then she measures my belly, hears the baby's heartbeat (which is kinda funny cause it looked like the baby was on one side when she was really on the other so the doctor had a hard time finding that stinkers heartbeat), and "checks me." We find out that the baby is still big, I am a centimeter dialated, 70% effaced, the baby is still high (meaning she hasn't "dropped" yet), and I may have toxemia. (Toxemia is pregnancy induced hypertension that can have serious risks to the baby and the only cure is delivery.) The doctor says, "I'm not 100% convinced it's toxemia, but you can come in again on Thursday for a nurse's visit." (The nurse will take my weight, blood pressure, and a urine sample.) If anything comes up fishy I will get to go have a blood test! (Whoopee! NOT!) If in fact I do have toxemia I will get to be induced.
Now this is where I am so torn beyond relief! So, one half of me is saying that I better NOT have toxemia. I don't want to have it now because it makes it a greater chance that I will have it with other pregnancies. Also, it may come sooner in a different pregnancy causing my to have to worry my butt off in bed because I will be on bedrest. Plus I am not a huge fan of being induced. One, I am scared of needles, particularily IV's. Guess how they administer the pitocin (drug used to induce), yep, you guessed it, with an IV drip! Two, there are many people I have talked to who have been induced and they didn't have the best experience.
Now the other half of me is excited to finally "see the light at the end of the tunnel." If I have toxemia and have to be induced then I can finally have this baby. I won't have to be asked when I will have her anymore. I will get to meet my little girl and finally be able to hold her rather than carry her. I am so scared on delivery though. I like to know what I am getting into. And since my slacker butt didn't sign up for any classes I am going in there with no clue as to what to expect. I know that I will be relieved beyond measure when she gets here. Right now, as it always has been, it is in the Lord's hands. I must be patient and also understanding of what will come. So the world may get to meet Alexis Danielle on Thursday and if not she will be here soon enough.

Complete Lack Of Anything Else To Do

"Sigh" It has been weird no longer having to work. I enjoy that I get to sleep in past 9:00am. I have played "Guitar Hero III" almost everyday that I have had off. Still can't beat the game though! ARGH! I have been reading jokes off of Cafemom.com. But there are only a couple of new ones a day. I have also been reading some forum posts at Cafemom.com, mostly I am jealous of those who have already had their child or are experiencing signs of early labor. My child is very near the eight pound mark now. I am slightly worried that I won't be able to have her naturally. But I will take whatever is thrown at me. My dad is pretty funny lately, he insists that we go walking everyday. I am okay with it. I just wish that it would actually do something for me. So far I will finish walking with a few contractions that go away in like 10 minutes. So frustruating. I still have 3 and a half weeks left so there really isn't a big hurry. I am just highly impatient and extremely BORED!! I haven't even got the energy to do the whole "nesting" thing. I want to do a lot of projects but I can't find the ambition needed to start them. I should at least get my laundry done. That will be my goal for the day!! Then tomorrow I will tackle the bathroom! (Hopefully these words will turn into actions!) :)
It was raining this morning and I guess that my dog did not like the idea of being rained on. So she snuck out of her kennel, let herself into the house, then jumped into bed with me. I was so lazy that I let her curl up and fall asleep in the bed with me!! She is currently curled up in a ball on the couch fast asleep. Eventually I will make her go back outside and into her kennel, but if she is just going to sleep I don't see the harm!! Well I think I will end here. I appologize for the scattered thoughts. I have no desire to organize them!!!

Today

Well I have about a million and ten things that need to be done today!
1. I have to call the insurance guy to put insurance on our new car. (We got a new one so the we could lower our payments! Success!) Although he won't be in his office until 9:00.
2. I have a doctor's appointment. It is at 9:45 so hopefully the insurance guy won't take forever and a day to put on insurance.
3. I have to go to the post office to mail off some bills and movies.
4. I have to go to Target and try to find a few more baby items that we'll need before she gets here.
5. Go to Wal-mart and return the memory card I bought and turn our other memory cards into pictures!
6. Go and visit Lissy! (That will be a fun thing!)

Well I guess it didn't quite add up to a million and ten but it's still alot. Especially if you take account for the errands that will take a good chunk of time! I will be fairly busy but life is good!

Oh and I can't forget to buy milk and syrup!!