Braxton's Birth Story!

So life with a baby has been quite busy! And the blog has gotten way behind...Ive decided its time to get caught up! So here is the beginning.....

At this point in my pregnancy I was only allowed to work 25 hours a week, so I was working on Monday/Wednesday/Fridays.  Everyone was telling me we really needed to do a Babymoon or at least a date night before the baby came- I kept saying no, we dont have the money, we cant.  But for some reason on Wednesday I had a change of heart and decided we did really need to have a date night out- so I had a secret date planned for Brian Thursday night- I was so excited!

When I got home from work Wednesday night, I started to feel what I thought was pressure from Braxton's head dropping- it wasn't necessarily painful, but more uncomfortable.  As the night wore on it would kind of peak and then fade away- I remember laying down for bed and being "really uncomfortable" hoping that he would "just move positions" soon.  I woke up on Thursday still feeling what I kept describing as uncomfortable.  Brian went off to work- joking about actually staying home with me in case I was going into labor.  I just laughed and said oh honey, this is not labor- its not that painful...... well as the day wore on the "uncomfortable-ness" seemed to intensify- I started to get worried maybe Braxtons head was in a bad position or something wasn't right, so right before lunch I called Brian at work and asked if I should call the doctor.  He told me to go ahead if I thought something was wrong or if I was in a lot of pain. I felt really silly calling- but it was 11:58 and they closed at noon for lunch, so I thought I might as well call just to put my mind at ease.  I will never forget the conversation I had with my nurse- I told her I was having pressure that was coming and going about every 3 min and the pain was increasing.  She said "oh honey- thats contractions.  You are in labor- You need to get here ASAP".  I called Brian back to let him know we were going in and they said I was having contractions- but I still didn't believe I was in labor.  I wasn't screaming in pain or bending over unable to walk or talk, the pain wasn't near as bad as the Braxton Hicks contractions I had been experiencing.  Of course Brian freaked out when I told him, but I just kept telling him its okay, don't speed take your time.  I said the same thing when he got home and was trying to change clothes and get his hospital bag- I was so convinced it wasn't labor.  But the pain was starting to increase by this time. So much for my secretly planned Date Night!

I dreamed the ride to the hospital when I was in labor would be like in the movies, water broke, in pain, rushing straight back- but this was nothing like that.  We got to the hospital at 1pm and Brian dropped me off at the front door and I had to  STAND in line and wait...and wait... to check in.  (Not sure if its like that at every hospital, but this is one reason I will not be going back to this one).  As I was standing in line, I started to realize I was in labor.  Tears were now streaming down my cheeks I was in pain.  Finally, I got to the front of the line- I could barely talk to the lady- she put the wristband on me and told me to wait in the lobby to be called back ( reason #2 i won't go back)- and we waited ...and waited...and waited.... and I cried...and cried... and cried...  (Even though I was in pain and crying- it was still nothing like what I imagined!)  45 min later- yes, i think that is ridiculous- they called us back.  We went into a tiny little room where they monitored my contractions and Braxtons heart beat and sure enough, I was having intense contractions every 3 min and was already dilated to a 4!  So....another 30 min later they finally moved us to a labor and delivery room- by this time we called all our family and friends to let them know this was the real deal! My mom and dad and Brians parents were there and our friends Taylor and Teresa.

They said they would get the IV in me and get the epidural ASAP since I was already a 4.  Two nurses came in and they were completely clueless to what was going on- they asked me what I was in for- and I said I'm in labor- both of them looked at each other and said "oh- no one told us that!"  what!?!? (you will see this is a recurring theme with this hospital)... so then they started moving a little faster-  the IV was the worst part of the entire experience by far.  They refused to put the numbing cream on their patients and the first time they put the IV in it didn't work, finally the second time they got it in and I was in so much pain from it.   The anethestologist came a little bit later, she was wonderful.  I was really scared for this-but it didn't hurt at all.  I just leaned on the nurse and held my husbands hands and all 3 of them talked me through the whole experience. It was so much easier and less painful than that stinkin IV. Once the epidural kicked in, I didn't feel a single contraction or any pain the rest of the time!

Dr. Hall came in, she said that she wasn't on call that night, but that she would stay to deliver our baby (thank goodness!!!)  She had a church event from 6-7 that night, but she said we would be in for a long long night and she would come back afterwards and there would be a small chance I would have the baby before midnight.  They went ahead and broke my water- I couldn't feel anything because of the epidural. They had me laying on my left side and left us alone for awhile-Teresa also happens to be my chiropractor so she went ahead and adjusted me while the nurses were out.  My pelvis was out of alignment and she got it back in place and got it to stay.

My whole pregnancy Braxton never really liked me laying on my left side, so it didn't surprise me when the nurses came back in and told me to switch to my right side because his heart rate was dropping.  About 30-45 min after laying on my right side I was having pain that was just too much to take.  I finally buzzed the nurse and told her that position was causing me a lot of pain and I needed to move.  She came in to move me and said well I might as well just check to see if you have made any progress....she checked....and said "well honey, that pain is because you are at a 10 and ready to push" WHAT?!?!  I said you mean, its time?!?!  A group of family and friends had just left to grab dinner because we were all told we would be waiting all night- so we had to make a  few phone calls and texts to get everyone back- and then I realized Dr. Hall was still at church! I kind of panicked- the nurse said it was okay, we could wait a little while to push and she had called Dr. Hall to let her know to come back now.

I had Brian on my left side coaching me through everything and then Teresa and my mom on my left.  We started pushing without Dr. Hall there because there wasn't any more time to wait.  Luckily, Dr. Hall was there by the 2nd set of pushes!  It only took 6 pushes and Braxton was here! I felt no pain at all- it was the easiest part of this entire journey!  All the doctors and nurses were shocked by how easy and fast I dilated and was able to push him out- it was all because Teresa adjusted me and got my body back in alignment so that Braxton could come as easy as possible! It was within an hour or so after being adjusted that I was holding Braxton in my arms!

 I was so scared the entire time just waiting for bad news or complications- the pregnancy had been so tough- I was dreading hearing the words "Time for Plan B" or "C Section"- but God blessed us with a completly easy and pain free labor- gave me a little break from how hard it had been :)  Labor was nothing like I was told or had watched on TV- it was the easiest part of the whole process and the most pain free!

He was born at 7:46pm weighing 7 pounds 11 ounces.  I remember just holding my breathe  praying that I would hear him cry and praying that he would be healthy-  and sure enough I heard the cry and the nurses said "he was perfect". After he was born we did lots of skin to skin time- we let everyone come in and see him, but they had to come back the next day to hold him- they wanted us to stay skin to skin for the night.

Proud Daddy!

There are no words to describe holding your baby for the first time- and becoming a family- the immediate love you have for your baby and how much deeper your love grows for your husband- its just amazing. Its crazy to think that just a few hours ago he was in my belly and now he is in my arms and cuddled up with us!

He was so perfect- and I couldn't believe we were actually holding our baby.  It had been quite the journey and this was the perfect ending!  They said he was completely healthy- thank the Lord!  When he was first born he could only open one eye- I was kind of worried, but they said it was completely normal.

He got his very first adjustment just shortly after he was born!

They had lactation come in to help teach me how to breast feed for the first time- the lady was awful.  She kept getting frustrated and mad at me because I wasn't getting the hold right and finally she just gave up on me and said we would just have to try again later.  I knew right away I did not like that lady!  It didn't get any better the rest of the stay- I actually went to the nursery a few times asking them what we were going to do since he wasn't getting any food because I wasn't getting it down yet- they all reassured it me everything was fine.

The next day Dr. Adair (our pediatrician) came to look him over- and Braxton is truly unique- she noticed that on the palm of his hands he only has one line- only 4% of Americans have one line and it is an indicator of Downs Syndrome.  The second I heard those words I freaked out and started googling and researching- the doctor tried to assure me that she didnt see any signs of Downs in him- he seemed perfectly healthy, she just wanted to let us know.  Brian did some research and found out that Brittney Spears, Robert De Niro, and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair also only have one line!   Other than that she said he looked perfect!

*Note: I didnt think to take a picture of his hand until I was writing this blog-- so he is not a newborn in this picture- picture was taken at 4 months old.

He passed his hearing test with flying colors!  They said it might take 45min to an hour and he was done in 10 min!!!

One good thing about the hospital is that they have a photographer come around and takes pictures of your baby- we had so much going on in our room when she came and it was the only time she had open, so we grabbed an outfit- he was in newborn sizes, but we thought he was going to weigh  9-10 pounds so we only had 0-3 sizes :(  so we put him in an osu outfit and got some really good newborn pics.  I meant to take some of him naked, but in the moment I totally forgot!

We wanted Braxton to stay with us in our room the entire time- we were so in love with him already- but the nurses kept telling us we should really send him to the nursery at night so we could get some sleep and rest before we went home, so the 2nd night we were really exhausted- we hadnt slept in so long so we finally decided to take him down there and rest.  It was my first time really up and walking- but when we got there they told us sorry they didnt have room for him :( so back we went- needless to say we didnt get any rest at the hospital!

The day I had labor I hadnt eaten all day and by the time I had him I was STARVING- I think everyone forgot about me though, because they brought Brian dinner- but once Braxton was here everyone loved on him and then left for the night.  And Lakeside doesnt have a cafeteria.  So finally once we realized no one was going to bring dinner for me, we buzzed the nurse and begged for some food for me.  All they had was cold leftovers :( I was dying for a Pepsi and Bueno!

Thankfully the next night, Teresa- who had also been my college roommate, and knows me so well- brought me some Bueno burritos to eat! yummmmyyy!!!!!

We did get Braxton circumcised- I thought he would be in a lot of pain and super fussy from it- but he was just fine when he came back.  Everyone was telling us what a laid back lil guy we had and how lucky we were! We were just so in love!

We had so many wonderful visitors to come see our little one- almost all of our family made it out to the hospital, all except one of my brothers, and we had lots of friends stop by- it was such a happy time for us!

Grandma

Grandma

Aunt Myranda- and the boys in the background!

Aunt Shannon

The Bolner Family

Taylor

Teresa

Gift from Truley & Family!

Diaper Wreath from Teresa!

We couldn't wait to get home and start our family of 3!!!!  I always thought when you left the hospital you had to be escorted out in a wheelchair- but not at this place- we carried everything out ourselves and I had to walk out on my own. We loaded up the truck and headed home (or so we thought)...

We are now a family of 3- and not only are me and Brian best friends, husband and wife- but now we are mommy and daddy.  We are so blessed!!!

37 Weeks- Happy Birthday!!!!

How Far Along:  37 Weeks

Total Weight Gain:  32 pounds

Maternity Clothes: yes yes yes!

Stretch Marks: Not too bad at all- only a few

Sleep: Impossible. 

Best Moment This Week: Braxton being born!!!!!

Miss Anything: Ha- sleep!

Movement: All the time

Food Cravings: Not really- can't each much with the baby taking up all the room

Anything make you quesy or sick: Um.... the stinkin IV!!!

Gender Predicition- They were right- he's a BOY!

Labor Signs: Oh you know, just some pressure that comes and goes every 3 min- oh wait, thats contractions!?!?

Symptoms:  Pressure, Tiredness, Swollen Feet

Belly Button in or out: Still flat- never popped!

Wedding ring on or off: Was able to keep this on the entire time too!

Looking Forward to: Being a mom :)

Well we made it to 37 Weeks! He is the size of a winter melon and should measure 18.9-20.9 inches long and weigh between 6.2-9.2 pounds.  He is practicing exhaling, inhaling, sucking, gripping, and blinking! This was the crucial week we needed to make it to- so I am so excited that we did!!!

Monday I had another chiropractor appt- we were talking about how we didn't think Braxton would "drop" because he was already so low I just didn't see how he could get any lower.  Ironically, later that night I was laying on the couch and he proved us all wrong- because I totally felt him drop.  The pressure that I didn't think could get any more- did. 

Tuesday I had my follow up ultrasound to re check Braxtons weight since the earlier one put him so heavy.  According to the previous one he should be at 7.5 pounds right now and would between 9-10 pounds at birth.  This ultrasound tech however, measured him much much smaller- she said at the time he was only weighing 6 pounds.  We also saw Dr. Hall and I was now 70% effaced and 1.5 cm dilated-  she said she thinks this would probably be the last time she saw me before I had the baby- she said she can't predict when I will go into labor, and I might make it another week, but she really thinks he will come within the week! Ahhh!!!!!

Wednesday we finally got my maternity pictures back!! (Now that Im about to have the baby) But they turned out good! Here are a few of them:

I also got my flu shot at work- I was so nervous to get it- but it didn't hurt at all!! Thankful I work at a place that offers them for free to their employees! And thankful I made it to today so I could get it :)

Wednesday night I was feeling a lot of pressure- felt like his head was just pushing down on me and ready to come out.  As the night progressed the pressure got stronger and stronger and more and more.  It started out just kind of uncomfortable, but by the time I went to bed it was pretty painful- not tears painful- but complaining painful.

Little did I know that "pressure" was actually contractions! And the next day- October 18th- was Braxtons Birthday!!!!!  We technically made it to 37 weeks and 1 day! (His technical due date was Nov7th)-  he stayed in just long enough to make that all important 37 Week mark!  My next post will be all about the labor and delivery and getting to meet our little baby!

36 Weeks!

How Far Along:  36 Weeks

Total Weight Gain: 28 pounds

Maternity Clothes: Of course

Stretch Marks: Just the few

Sleep: Its okay, just have to get up a million times to pee- and getting my big ol belly out of bed in my maternity pillow is quite the task!

Best Moment This Week: Massage Class and the chiropractor!

Miss Anything: Being able to do normal things

Movement: Non Stop- this week he targeted my ribs hard :( Not fun.

Food Cravings: No cravings really, still want my Indian Taco though!

Anything make you quesy or sick:  Nope!

Gender Predicition- BOY oh BOY!

Labor Signs: Contractions

Symptoms: Swollen Feet, Contractions, Tiredness

Belly Button in or out: Flat- still hasnt popped!

Wedding ring on or off: Still On!!!

Looking Forward to:  Holding our baby for the first time!

Nursery Progress: Its all ready for him to come home to :)


Baby is now the size of a honeydew- should be about 17.2-18.7 inches long and weigh around 5.8 pounds (I wish Braxton was that small- he was that big around 32 weeks!!).  Most of his bones (besides the skull) are now hardened and his muscle tone is improving.

We had our weekly doctors appt on Tuesday- it went pretty good- I had the Strep B Test done -it tested negative whoo hoo- and the doctor said we are pretty much in the clear now. Meaning, if I go into labor they arent going to try to stop it anymore.  So now instead of coming to Labor and Delivery if I have 5 contractions in an hour- instead I only come in once I've had contractions 5 minutes apart for an hour straight.  That was a relief knowing that we are out of the pre term labor scare!  And I'm now 50% effaced and dialated to a 1! Whoo hooo!!!  I asked her if she was concerned about how big he was- she looked back at his number and said yah, we need to get another ultrasound in to re-weigh him for both my safety and Braxtons- so we are doing that again next week- all we are all hoping the numbers were off last time!  So for now, I'm still on "bed rest"- its not as strict anymore, I can walk around the house as long as I am comfortable.  She still doesnt want me walking around the block or a store, but I'm not stuck to the bed anymore.  Well technically not, my body still cant be up long.  If I stand for even a few minutes, I have to sit down, the contractions are too strong. But I do feel like we are making good progress!

That night we had our last baby class- Infant Massage.  I am SO glad we took this!  There are so many benefits to doing this, I don't understand why not everyone does it!  We learned techniques to help with colic and help with crying and overall health.  And just the bonding it creates between the parent and baby is unbelievable!  So with the chiropractor care Braxton will have and the infant massages we will be doing all day every day- I cant wait to see the benefits he will get!

Wednesday came along and just absolutely killed me.  I would get 3 strong contractions pretty much back to back followed by 1 long contraction that didn't let up for at least 30 min.  That happened every 2-3 hours. I was in so much pain.  Driving home with Brian I was just gripping the seat belt crying out in pain from the contractions- and on top of that Braxtons foot was shoved up my ribs making it feel like my ribs were literally breaking.  I was in so much pain we called the hospital on the way home to see if I needed to come in, but they wanted me to go home and try laying down first. Laying down really helped- guess work had just been really rough on my body that day- slowly but surely the pain started decrease and I began to feel better.

Thankfully, I had a chiropractor appointment the next day- she was able to get him moved out of my ribs and get me some relief! I love going to the chiropractor!!!

Friday brought a whole nother round of trouble though- I was doing good all day and then about 5pm I started to get a headache (which I never get) and it just kept getting stronger and stronger- my whole body just started to feel awful and achy- then my throat starting feeling like it was closing up. By this time I started getting pretty vocal with Brian that I wasnt feeling good.  A little bit later I started to get really really hot- and then shortly after my body stayed hot but I got so cold and just started shaking uncontrollably.  Thats when Brian started to get really worried.  We called the doctor to see what to do-  they wanted us to take some Tylenol first and see if that helped and if it didnt to go into the ER.  I took 2 Tylenol and within an hour it had knocked me out and put me to sleep. I woke up the next day and felt perfectly fine- so weird!

I am so worried that I'm not going to know when I actually go into labor- with all these contractions and pains Ive been having for so long, Im nervous I'm just going to write off the real labor pains as just what I have been going through already.  Everyone tells me that I will know- but I just have a feeling that I'm not going to...

1 more month to go until we get to meet our little one!!! :)

35 Weeks! Just Call Me Waddles :)

How Far Along:  35 Weeks

Total Weight Gain: 21 pounds

Maternity Clothes: Yep, moving into my fall clothes now!

Stretch Marks: Very minimal!

Sleep: Impossible.  Laying down in any position is so uncomfortable and when I have to roll to another side it takes forever- I'm exhausted all the time, but sleep is just not coming easy

Best Moment This Week: Express Baby Shower & My mom and Taylors blessings

Miss Anything: Being able to get up or roll over or walk or move at all without pain or struggle!

Movement: All day and night- this little boy loves to be active.  Think he is going to be one heck of a soccer player like his daddy :)

Food Cravings: Hmmm....I guess grilled cheese, root beer, and mexican.  I eat less now than I did before I was pregnant- belly is full with baby, no room for food!

Anything make you quesy or sick: Not much anymore

Gender Predicition- BOY!

Labor Signs:Contractions!

Symptoms:   Swollen feet, exhaustion, contractions, back pain, waddling, emotional

Belly Button in or out: Staying flat, still hasnt popped!

Wedding ring on or off: On! So happy about that!

Looking Forward to:   Holding our baby boy for the first time!

Nursery Progress: It is 100% ready- thanks to Mom and Taylor!



Baby is now the size of a coconut!  He should be about 17.2-18.7 inches long and still in the 4.2-5.8 pound range (he is estimated at 6.8 pounds right now though.....).  His hearing is fully developed and responds to high pitched noises.  His kidneys and liver are also now developed.  Most of his basic physical development is now complete- now its just adding on some more weight!

I've avoided almost all swelling so far- thankfully- except for my feet!  I cant wear anything except flip flops now and even those are so tight they leave indention marks on my poor feet.  This might present a potential problem since Fall and cooler weather is now here, but since I'm on so much bed rest- I wont have to worry about that too much :)

I can tell the time is getting closer, because my fears and anxiety have switched from pregnancy related to parenting related.  I've done a lot of research of infant/child development- I want to make sure that we do everything we can to make the best environment for our son and I don't want to be oblivious to signs of potential problems.  I've also found a lot of research about television and infants- and how it is recommended that children under 2 watch zero tv and have no background tv.  ZERO TV in our house might be impossible- but it is something I am taking seriously and will limit very closely with Braxton.  Our pediatrician has told us he needs to sleep in our room (in a pack and play, not our bed) until he is 6 months old to help reduce the risk of SIDS- which we fully intend to do.  But I was thinking how we always watch tv in bed to unwind before we go to sleep...all these little things that we will have to be more conscious of and change.... so much to learn about!  I just hope that I know what I'm doing once we get home from the hospital.  Everyone says it just comes to you- I sure hope so because sometimes I just feel so lost!

We had our CPR and Breastfeeding classes this week- I learned alot and feel better prepared on both topics!  We only have one class left- Infant Massage and then we have completed all our parenting classes together :)

Wednesday was Brians last day of Konnect- I know it was hard on him to stop serving in this ministry- but we just thought with all the complications and being this far along it was best for our family for him to be home with me.  I know I am very grateful to have him home with me at night for these last few weeks in case anything happens!

Thursday Brians work threw us a Baby Shower.  I was just so amazed by them- I dont even work there and they took the time to throw us a shower- how awesome is that?!?  They made a gorgeous hand make baby cake and punch and there was even our first diaper cake.  So adorable!  I knew Express was a great company to work for, but I was just blown away by the amazing people in that company.  They went out of their way to make that hour so special for us and just show us some love!  Big thank you to everyone who helped put that on and who came to celebrate with us!  We got necessities  that we really needed and some super cute stuff for our lil boy!

We also went and got our Tdap shots together- the shot wasn't near as bad as I expected, but my arm was sore for the next few days!  I think almost all of our family has gotten the shot now, which is good.  In order for them to be around Braxton they need to have it at least 2 weeks before he gets here.  (I know there is a new movement to not vaccinate- but we are following our doctors advice and going the vaccination route)

I cant even walk from room to room in our house anymore without awful contractions- and the nursery was in desperate need of organization- so Taylor and my mom offered to come over Sunday afternoon and do it all for me- how lucky am I???  It was so wonderful- I was able to sit in the recliner and help direct (in all honesty they didnt need me- those two are pros at this!) They got everything organized and decorated and completly ready for us to bring Braxton home!

Those two- my mom and The Beard Family have blessed us in our time of need in a way that can only be summed up as a gift from God-  I dont know how to thank you guys enough for everything, but please know we are beyond grateful and thankful for everything. 

34 Weeks- Bed Rest & Breakdowns!

How Far Along:  34 Weeks

Total Weight Gain: 20 pounds

Maternity Clothes: Love them!

Stretch Marks:  Still just the few...hoping to keep it that way!

Sleep:  Awful!! Between acid reflux and just being plain miserable, its impossible

Best Moment This Week: Baby Shower!!

Miss Anything: Being able to walk at a normal speed :( I'm slower than slow....

Movement: non stop- and he is so strong- he loves to punch down low,kick my ribs, and stick his butt against my sides!

Food Cravings: Not really- I can barely eat anymore- there is just no room in my belly!

Anything make you quesy or sick:  Acid reflux all the time... don't know what is causing it!

Gender Predicition- He is all boy!

Labor Signs: CONTRACTIONS!!!  

Symptoms:    back pain, swollen feet, acid reflux, exhaustion, contractions- i can't even walk 10 feet without them starting up! 

Belly Button in or out:  Staying Flat!

Wedding ring on or off: Still on! whooo hoo!!!! 

Looking Forward to:   Braxton being here soon (just not too soon!)

Nursery Progress: Just need to get it all organized and we are ready to roll!

34 Weeks! Baby is the size of a butternut squash- should weigh about 4.2 to 5.8 pounds (he is estimated at 6.2 pounds) and should be between 17.2 and 18.7 inches.  He can now recognize and react to simple songs- Brian loves to sing Soft Kitty to him, which I have recently protested- because we do not like cats in this family and I don't want him getting confused :)  jk....kinda!

This was an emotionally trying week for us-  We went in for our check up with the doctor, I had been having bad contractions over the weekend and we were now past the 2 week mark that we tested negative for for premature labor- so I was kind of expecting them to do another stress test and see just how many contractions I was having.   But instead....I got checked for dilation (still at zero thank goodness) and had to have another fetal fibronectin test...ugh!  At least my doctor was ALOT better at doing this than the hospital nurses- wasn't nearly as uncomfortable- but all I could think about was here comes another $500 bill for this test.... Bills are just racking up... little did I know, it was about to get a whole lot worse.

In amazingly good news- the test came back negative again- so we have a 2% chance of having the baby in the next two weeks- Praise God!  But in devasting news to our family- the doctor drew the line and said working full time was not an option.  I needed more bed rest to keep the baby healthy and safe than what I was getting.  She asked what my plan was with work and I let her know I had planned to work up to the day I went into labor, that we just had to have the income.  She decided that for now I needed to only work part time and then we would re-evaluate at the next appointment if that was working or if I needed to be on bed rest full time.

We were already going to be in a financial pinch due to a tight budget to begin with and on top of that our daycare pushing us back a month- Basically what this means for us- is after the house bills are paid for- we have less than $20- for everything.  Everything meaning gas, groceries, toiletries, the dog, everything.  For my A type personality, this was just too much to process.  I literally cried all day that day and fell asleep crying in my husbands arms- scared at how we were going to survive and take care of our son.

We had lots of people telling us it would be okay and everything would work out, but that line just seemed to stress me out more.  I know people were saying that because its really the only thing you can say to someone in that situation, but I knew they were wrong.  It wasn't going to be okay- the numbers got worse and worse every month and my accountant brain had no way of solving the problem.  I knew stressing and crying wasn't good for me or Brian and especially wasn't good for Braxton, so the next day I just had to take a deep breath and have a long talk with God.  Me and Brian cut almost every expense there is to cut and we just had to trust that we were going to get through this somehow someway.  We know we are going to have to sacrifice and are prepared to do that, however we will not take out credit cards and while money is a desperate need right now- we have to keep investing in our marriage too- so a 2nd job isn't an option either.  I need Brian to be there to take care of me while I'm on bed rest and when our little one comes, we need Brian there to be a daddy and bond with Braxton and share the parenting experience with me. We went through the house and made a pile of everything we could find to sell  to bring in some money and we are just praying for a miracle.  We have learned to ration out our food and to re-use things that most people wouldn't.  We are both scared to death of how we are going to make it, but we just have to have faith that God will provide.

We do have amazing family and friends- and my sweet mom has tried to make sure that we have food in our fridge and on our table- when she goes grocery shopping she will get us a sack full of essentials and she checks in on us all the time.  I know she wishes she could solve all our problems, but the numbers are just staggering.  But that sack of groceries she brings, that in itself is a miracle to us every time.  Thank you mom for taking care of us with food, with your time, with your love, with everything you have.  You are the best mom in the world.  We were also blessed by one of Brians co-workers, he made us dinner and we made it last 3 meals! (and it was soo YUMMY!).  And to everyone who has pitched in to make things a little easier on us- whether its a meal, helping clean the house to give Brian a break, helping getting things for Braxton, a prayer, hug, a listening ear, or shoulder to cry on- thank you.  We love you and are so thankful for each of you in our lives. 

I really thought that this much bed rest would be hard on me- I thought I would get restless and just want to get up and clean and organize and just move around- but it ended up being the exact opposite.  I had no idea how exhausted my body really was.  The days that I am on bed rest all day long- I dont move a muscle.  And its amazing the difference it makes in the number and intensity of contractions I have- once again, Dr. Hall does know best!

And I am so lucky to have a husband that serves me with love every second of every day.  I know its not easy on Brian- working full time, coming home and cooking, cleaning, and bringing everything to me so I dont have to walk- and on top of all that just dealing with all the emotions of becoming dad, trying to be strong for me, and handling all the stress of the financial situation and me and braxtons health.  Thats a lot on one person, but he never makes me feel like an inconvenience or a stress on him or anything negative- he just loves me and holds me and kisses me and reassures me that no matter what we have each other and our love is stronger than anything the devil can throw at us and that no matter what we will get through this together.  

Sunday we had our second baby shower- it was a Boy oh Boy theme and turned out adorable!  We got alot of stuff we really needed!!! We even got our stroller and baby monitor and our mattress pads we needed so badly- along with a bunch of other necessities and stuff for Braxton!

Thank you to everyone who is lifting us up in your prayers- we appreciate it more than you know!

33 Weeks- Hanging in There!

How Far Along:  33 Weeks

Total Weight Gain: 18 pounds

Maternity Clothes: Every day!

Stretch Marks:  Keepin them to a minimum!

Sleep:  Up and down all night.... rolling over has become so difficult...and getting comfortable is impossible :(

Best Moment This Week: Laughing in the car with my husband- just sat there for a long time being silly and laughing so hard , a friend at work lending me her breast pump, and moms surprise!!!! What a blessing!

Miss Anything: Being active, being able to clean, being able to really do anything

Movement: He is active 24/7

Food Cravings: Nothing special- meals are getting smaller and smaller!

Anything make you quesy or sick: Nope

Gender Predicition- 100% Boy

Labor Signs: contractions

Symptoms:  lower back pain, swollen feet, contractions, acid reflux

Belly Button in or out: still staying flat

Wedding ring on or off: on :)

Looking Forward to:  Baby Shower!

Nursery Progress:  Just needing some essentials- crib sheets, mattress pads, stroller, monitor etc!

This week baby is the size of a Durian Fruit (no idea what that is!)- but he should be weighing between 4.2 and 5.8 pounds (he is estimated to be 5.8).   He is now keeping his eyes open when he is awake, and he is starting to coordinate breathing, sucking, and swallowing! His bones are hardening and he is having major brain development this week.

We got to view our maternity pictures this week- they turned out really good!  Part of me wishes I would have waited another week or two so my belly would have been bigger... but then again we did it the week before all the bed rest/contractions started so maybe it was for the best!  I can't wait to get some of our favorite prints in!  Hopefully they get here before our little one does!

My mom also had a HUGE surprise for us! She is the queen of all bargain shopping and she found the sale of all sales and was able to get us a new (bigger) refrigerator- with a working ice machine! finally! and a new, silent, energy saving dishwasher!!!! We needed both so bad- we had old hand me downs before and they weren't going to last much longer.  She was able to get both for less than the normal price of one! It was such a surprise and a blessing to us- there is no way we could have done that ourselves.  Thank you mom!!!!! We can't tell you how much that meant to us and how much its helping us out!!!

This week the "modified bed rest" got a little stricter- I'm still able to work, but no more running errands of any kind or doing anything that someone else can do for me. No cooking, no cleaning, no grocery shopping- sitting at work and laying down at home.

That worked pretty good for the majority of the week- seemed like the contractions were getting better.... that is until Saturday- and then that same incredibly pain side contraction flared up again.  And then Sunday- well Sunday was just plain awful!  My body just felt different- in a bad way-  I had a constant lower back pain, I had contractions that were wrapping around my back all the way around my stomach-  We didn't know what to do- whether to go into Labor and Delivery or not- I wasn't have more than 5 an hour (that I could feel anyways)  but the ones I was having were really bad.  It got to the point that I finally said 1 more contraction and we are going in- we got our bags ready to go and loaded the car seat into the truck- everything was ready to go.  And then I ended up falling asleep...... so we didn't go in, not yet anyways.  We decided we would call the doctor on Monday and see where to go from there.....

32 Weeks- Labor Scares & Baby Showers

How Far Along:  32 Weeks

Total Weight Gain: holding steady at 18 pounds

Maternity Clothes: Yes, Yes, Yes

Stretch Marks:  I'm staying lucky on this one so far!

Sleep:  Not so great, toss and turn all night and get up to pee every hour- my poor husband!

Best Moment This Week: Finding out that I'm not going into labor yet & my first baby shower

Miss Anything: Being able to sleep how I want and being able to walk normal!

Movement: All the time!! Non stop kicking and moving!

Food Cravings: Nothing really,  I cant eat much at one time- Braxton is taking up my whole stomach!

Anything make you quesy or sick: Nope

Gender Predicition- He is definitely a boy!

Labor Signs:CONTRACTIONS!!!!!

Symptoms:  Contractions, swollen feet, hot flashes

Belly Button in or out: Still flat

Wedding ring on or off: ON!! whoo hooo

Looking Forward to: Baby Classes

Nursery Progress: Its ready!

He is the size of a squash this week!  He should weigh 2.5-3.8 pounds and measure 15.2-16.7 inches long.  He has now developed sensitivity to temperature.  Chances of survival if the baby were born this week is 90%!!

Monday morning I got up and got ready for work, as I was getting ready to leave, around 645am I got another incredibly painful contraction.  The kind that makes walking impossible- this one felt like Braxton was literally pushing his way out.  I couldn't walk, couldnt sit, it was awful.  I rode with my mom to work, the pain was kind of going in and out.  But when I got out of the car to walk into work it went into high gear again.  I couldnt hold it in anymore and just cried and cried at my desk because of the pain.  Finally around 745am it was over.  I called my doctor to tell them about everything from Sunday and Monday- and they said I needed to come into Labor & Delivery immediatly.  (they werent happy that I waited so long!)

So we went up there,  I had my mom and Brian with me- I was still crying off and on because by this time I was pretty scared.  I expected them to take me to the testing room- but instead I went right into a delivery room.  I got hooked up to all the machines and they monitored his heart beat, his movements, and my contractions and blood pressure.  We were watching the contractions on the monitor and I noticed I was going up to the 40's and 50's quite often, but I didnt really know what that meant.  Honestly, since I wasnt having the painful ones anymore I felt kind of silly and bad that I made everyone take off work, because I thought nothing was happening.  Boy was I wrong!!

Next thing I know I have nurses coming in very concerned- saying that I am having strong contractions anywhere from 6-12 minutes apart with some as close at 4 minutes apart.  They gave me a shot that was supposed to relax my uterus muscles to try to slow down the contractions (I am terrified of needles and shots!)  The actual needle of the shot wasnt bad at all, but gosh it burned!  Then they had to do a test to see what my chances of pre term labor was- um uncomfortable!!  And they checked to see if I was dilated-  luckily I wasnt!!!

The doctor came in to check on me- I just love Dr. Hall-  she gave me a lecture about not coming in Sunday- told me I was now on bed rest and that she wasn't sure how long I would be in the hospital.  They needed to get my test results back which would take several hours and I couldn't be released until the contractions were under control.  The shot they gave me slowed the contractions down for about 10 min, but then they came back even stronger and faster.  Now they were only 2 minutes apart!  So time for shot #2-  they could only give me 3 of these shots, and I really didn't want to go through another one, so I was really hoping this one would work.  And thankfully it did, the contractions slowed down in strength and speed.

So, finally HOURS later we were released- home for bed rest! The fetal fibronectin test came back negative- meaning I had a 98% chance of not having the baby for 2 more weeks.  However, it only predicts 2 weeks- so the doctor warned me that at 2 weeks and 1 day- all bets were off again. I had to stay home from work Tuesday but they let me go back after that since my job is just sitting at a desk with no standing or moving.  And then after work hours and on weekends I was to be on bed rest. 

Tuesday I went in to see Dr. Hall for a follow up appointment and she scheduled me an emergency ultrasound that day to check on the baby and see if I was effacing yet.  I love ultrasounds because there is nothing better than getting to see your little one, but they are starting to get really uncomfortable.  I am all baby in my belly, so my belly is really really hard (they comment on that every time)- so when they push with the ultrasound thing its an uncomfortable hurting feeling.  She measured all his bones and his head- once again we got the "oh my gosh he has such a big head" comment and she told us he is measuring almost 2 weeks bigger than he should be- measures at 33 weeks and 5 days and is weighing 5.2 lbs, which is HUGE, he should be about 2.5 lbs- so they are estimating if he goes to full term he would be between 9-10 lbs.  I know this is just an estimation and soooo many people have told me their stories on how it was off- but this is one of my biggest fears.  I knew it ran in Brians side of the family to have huge babies, but I was really praying my genetics would come into play on this one.... The most important thing is that he is healthy, no matter how big he is, but I'm still holding out hope that the numbers are wrong....

his lips all puckered up

his big ol foot- takin after his daddy and papa kj!

He is head down and very very low- this kid is ready to come on out!  She couldn't measure my cervix because he was so low, so we had to do the internal ultrasound to get the measurement.  It wasn't until the next day that we got the results back on this- but we got good news! I wasn't effacing yet!!! So for now they are calling this pre term labor contractions and ordering modified bed rest.

Saturday my mom went garage sale-ing and found some AMAZING baby deals for us!!!  By this point I was getting really restless and there was a small consignment sale right down the street so we all 3 went and found some more awesome deals- I'm telling you I dont know what we would have done without Consignment Sales, Garage Sales, and CraigsList- they have been the biggest blessing to our teeny tiny budget!

Sunday was our first baby shower-  we did a co-ed baby shower because I just dont understand why only the mom would want to have the fun of getting things for the baby- its OUR baby, not just mine.  It turned out perfect- my friends Taylor and Penny  and my mom hosted it for us- the theme was She's About To Pop!  The decorations were adorable and Penny baked all the yummy food!  We had popcorn cupcakes, pop rocks, ring pops, popcorn, soda pop candy, and colored soda in blue, green, and orange!  It was kinda difficult for me because I wasnt able to get up and mingle with all my friends- I sat seated in the same spot the entire time.  But it was so fun- we got some great and cute gifts and Taylor came up with some really fun games.  We played Who Knows Mommy & Daddy the Best!  Betsey knew me the best and Shannon knew Brian the best (with Britt in a close second- way to go Weaver Family!)  And we played How Sweet It Is- a game where you match candy bars up with things in pregnancy- it got lots of laughs :)  And we did How Big is My Belly- everyone tore off some streamers the length that they thought would wrap around my belly- Miss Sarah got 1st place with her sister Kacie and my friend Kenzi in VERY close second!

While we were opening gifts I started to have contractions and got really really hot- so Brian finished opening them all for us. Thank you to everyone who came over to celebrate with us and for being so patient with my contractions and hot flashes! We have some pretty amazing friends and family :)  And a HUGE thank you to Penny, Taylor, and my mom for putting the party together, doing all the before hand and afterwards cleaning, and all the decorating!!! You guys ROCK and we are so  blessed to have you in our lives!

mommy & daddy!

brian opening the gifts for us while i had contractions/hot flashes!

my lovely hostesses!