Baby Watch 2011:

Baby Watch 2011:

Contractions are hard, but not terribly regular.  Water hasn't broken yet, but things are definitely progressing.  Roland is just taking his sweet time, and that is ok.

Christmas cards won't be going out until the Sprog makes it here.

Merry Christmas everyone!  We love you all, and we will update you if there is any more action with the bratchild.  :)

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Baby Watch 2011:

Baby Watch 2011:

Well...things haven't gone as planned.  I am still only 1cm dialated.  Cervix is ripened pretty nicely, but I'm not dialated enough for him to break my water.

So...they're sending me home.  I'm being monitored right now for a but while the pitocin moves through my system.  But baby looks great, I look great....just not ready to have him.

I am frustrated with it all, but I know that this stubborn guy will cone when he is good and ready.  My hope now is I can make it until after Christmas, but we'll just see what happens.

The bright side?  They'll take this goddamn iv out of me...

Thank you all, so very much, for your kind and living words.  The support and the love is amazing.  Roland and Colin and I are so blessed to have you all!!!

But don't worry...Baby Watch will soon return!  Even if it rolls over to Baby Watch 2012...

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Baby Watch 2011

Baby Watch 2011:

No baby yet!  But i had a MUCH better night last night.  I slept in the chair and it was so much more comfortable than the bed.  Took a nice warm jet bath and they got me started on the pitocin again.

Still not terribly dialated, but I'm progressing nicely aside from that.  There should be a baby today!

I'm just rocking and hanging out with my cheerleaders right now.  Contractions are regular and strong.  I'm feeling good and positive and very loved...we have amazing friends and family!!

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Baby Watch 2011

Baby Watch 2011:

Today has been...a very difficult day.  Things haven't exactly gone as planned. Young Master Roland is still firmly ensconced in my womb.  They started me on pitocin at 6 this morning...it's moved things along somewhat, but I am not much more dialated than when I started.  Contractions, however, are coming strong and regularly.

I am feeling very frustrated with my body.  I've been walking as much as possible and trying to help things along, but it just seems like nothing is going on.

And before anyone says, 'I told you so...' please don't.  Yes, I likely should have waited and let this go naturally.  Rubbing it in will likely be a quick way to get you removed from my friends list.  :)

The day really started getting rough when my nurse made some comment about me being on a full liquid diet...no one had told me anything about that, I was STARVING, and I was pretty much terrified that I was going to have to live on juice and soup until the baby came.  Luckily, they did bring me food, and I didn't have to eat the natives.

My Dr. came in around 330 this afternoon and checked me, and gave me the not-so-good news.  High likelihood that the sprog will come tomorrow...but he won't be here tonight.  Looks like he will be a Long Night Baby!

Shortly after getting that news from my Dr, I had a bit of a meltdown.  My mom left and Colin and I discussed what we were going to do.  I was kind of feeling like giving up ad going home...but the nurse told me that even though it didn't seem like it, I am making progress, and that she is confident that I'll have him tomorrow.  So...we decided to stick it out.  Try another night here, try to get me comfortable enough to sleep.

Not long after THAT, they decided they needed to take my IV out and put a new one in.  The line kept kinking up, but it was twisting at the insertion point...not much you can do except take it out.  I wasn't really pleased with this, but not much I can do...I'd had almost 2 bags of saline and lots of water, so the thought was that I'd be hydrated enough to be ok.  They pulled out the first IV and went to work on the second one.

I warned the nurse doing it.  I told her I have very difficult veins, I have a hard time with IV's, and that they terrify me and HURT me, no matter how good you are.  Obviously, she didn't listen.  She prodded around and found a vein on my left hand that looked...dicey...and decided to shoot for it.  From the moment she put it in, I knew I was in trouble.  She started rooting around, trying to get it in position...and spent about 10 minutes digging and manipulating it while I just sobbed.  I thought Colin was going to come across the table and strangle the poor woman.  She finally got it where she thought it would be ok and put the saline on...only the promptly blow the vein when she tried to flush it.  I've got a huge bump and a lovely bruise forming for her troubles.

After that, I told her I needed some time.  She was pretty shaken, probably because I was so upset and obviously in a lot of pain.  I told her I was going to take a walk, and she said she'd have someone else come and give me another IV.  Probably a good thing, because I was again on the verge of a total blowout.  Mom came back in, which was nice (I am SO happy my Mommy is here...) and I took off to curl up in the visitors lounge with everyone.

By the time I was ready to have someone else even attempt an IV, we would have had to start the pitocin again from the beginning.  The nurse talked to my doctor, and he said it was fine to just leave it off, since I was nearly done anyway.  Probably a good call, because I think I would have said 'no' and just left.

The nurse who came and gave me my new IV was fabulous.  She's normally an ER nurse, but she is up here helping out.  It still hurts, which is to be expected for me, I guess, but at least it is in and hopefully won't be going anywhere.  We taped it down good, so hopefully it won't slip or wiggle...unfortunately, she had to do it on the side of my wrist, so that makes existing tough.

They also found me a chair that I can sit in without immense pain.  My back is killing me, and these beds are terrible.  They had brought me a rocking chair earlier, but it is really too hard for me to sit in comfortably.  They found a nice padded glider (it was that, or my brothers were going to drag a damn easy chair from the lounge in for me...whether they liked it or not...) and that has helped a lot.  I will likely be putting my feet up on it to sleep tonight.

I'll be getting another Ambien tonight, and hopefully I'll be able to get some sleep.  I'm pretty tired right now, but I really don't want to leave the hospital without my baby in arms.  Everyone tells me that tomorrow looks favorable, so I'm going to keep my hopes up and do what I can to make things happen.

My parents took off for the night which is totally ok...they're going to try to get some good sleep and come home early.  Colin and I are watching some TV.  He has been SO amazing...helping me do stuff and helping me walk and just generally being a god send.

Tonight, I'll take a hot bath and a sleeping pill.  Tomorrow is another day, and everything will be great.  Thank you all so much for the kind words and the thoughts and prayers.  I can't respond to everyone individually, but they are so very appreciated.  I love you all!

Baby Watch 2011

Baby Watch 2011:

Well...it was a long night.  Between painful contractions and having to be hooked up to fetal monitoring.. I didn't sleep much.  That's ok, though!  This morning, I got to take an amazing warm bath (with jets!) And that really helped my back.

I should be getting checked at 6 or so to see how its going.  Theoretically, they'll start me on pitocin then...

Soon, there will be baby!  First thing I'll do after he gets coveted in cuddles? Ask that they get this damn iv out...it hurts, and I'm not even hooked up to anything!

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Baby Watch 2011:

Baby Watch 2011:

Contractions are regularish and much more painful now.  Just got my last dose for the night, along with 2 Ambien.  Colin is going to veg for a bit with tv and I'm going to try to sleep. See you all in the morning!!!

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Baby Watch 2011

Baby Watch 2011:

Still in the hospital, no baby yet.  I just got my 2nd dose of cytoxen.  I'll get a third at 10, and then we'll see how I'm doing.  There won't be a Roland tonight, but hopefully tomorrow!!!

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Baby Watch 2011

Baby Watch 2011:

Well, I'm still only about 1cm dialated...but everything else looks good.  He was a little hesitant, but we're going to go ahead with the induction and see how it goes.  Heading up to the hospital now so we can get this party started...

So very excited...

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Baby Watch 2011

Baby Watch 2011:

Contractions are coming more regularly, and they feel the way I thought they should.  On our way to my appointment...cross your fingers for me.  He will hopefully be inducing me to help speed things along.

Thank you so much for all of your good thoughts and wishes.  We couldn't have done this without our friends and family.  We love you all.

Quote of the morning, "well, it'll take awhile...her Vagina isn't like a stargate..."

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Baby Watch 2011

Baby Watch 2011:

Contractions are coming more regularly and a bit harder now.  Hoping that maybe I'll go into labor before my appointment in the morning...

Baby Watch 2011

Baby Watch 2011:

Still nothing significant happening. There have been off and on contractions all day, but still nothing regular. I've got to admit that it's a little bit frustrating...especially because I'm worried that maybe I'm just missing something.

So, it looks like no baby tonight. Maybe tomorrow? I'm all packed and ready to go...

Baby Watch 2011

Baby Watch 2011:

Well, contractions mostly stopped. Grrrrr. I'm back to having little random ones that don't feel very productive. I was supposed to have a massage this afternoon, but I think I'm going to skip it...I'm not really feeling like having a massage. My back is hurting, but I think I'd rather have one after he shows up. 

My edema today is really horrible. My hands and my feet are both just throbbing... :( I've been drinking lots of water, so hopefully that'll feel better.

I have an appointment tomorrow at 11. We'll see how it goes...

I still think today is going to be the day. We made plans to watch the Survivor finale tonight... ;)

The Final Days

I know I've been terrible at keeping this updated lately.  Things have just been pretty busy as I anxiously await the Sprog's appearance.  These last few weeks have been full of emotional highs and lows.

At my appointment on the 8th, we talked with my Dr. about possibly inducing me.  He is going to be gone over the holidays, and he really wants to be there when my baby is born.  I'm ok with that, as he's been my doctor my entire life, and I feel comfortable with him.  Plus, by that point, I was getting pretty tired of being pregnant.  So, the plan was I'd come back the following Tuesday and he would check me again (on the 8th, I wasn't dialated at all, even though my cervix was starting to thin) and we would plan on a Thursday, 12/15, induction.  I went in on the 13th, and my Dr. checked me again with some bad news.  I was just BARELY dialated, not quite 1cm, and though my cervix was still thinning, it was happening slowly.  His opinion was that trying to induce me on Thursday would just result in a lot of tears and frustrations on my part.  The last thing he wanted was to keep me in the hospital 2 days without any results.  The new plan--wait until Monday the 19th.  I'll be going in tomorrow and he will check me again, and if things are looking ok, then he'll admit me and induce me.

Maybe.

I'm not really holding my breath at this point.

And before anyone tries to tell me about all the dangers of inducing and how horrible it is and how I need to just be patient--please don't.  I am well aware of the statistics and the potential risks.  I would really, really like Roland here before Christmas...but if it doesn't happen, I won't be upset.  I'm just anxious to meet him.

I'm feeling pretty beaten up today.  I'm totally exhausted and hurting.  My hands and feet are swollen and in pain after we spent all day yesterday shopping and out and about.  I have a massage scheduled for this afternoon, but I think I'm going to skip it...I don't feel like getting naked and crawling onto a massage bed, and I just know that with my luck, my water would break in the middle of it!

Last night, I started having some pretty rough contractions while we were at the movie.  Unfortunately, they didn't last very long...this morning, I'm back to pretty mild contractions that don't really feel very productive.  I'm hoping they pick up a bit.  I wouldn't mind going into labor tonight.

I think the biggest problem I'm having is that I'm just anxious to meet our son.  Hopefully that will happen in the next few days, or I might just go crazy!

Dear House Fairy,

Thank you for returning my good bra.  Well, my old worn out bra that is really the only comfortable one I have.  It has been a rough month dealing with the crappy ones that hurt.  Thank you for giving me one that I can comfortably wear with my new endowments...that is greatly appreciated!

Please do not steal anymore of my undergarments.  I will train Roland to hunt you down and find you.

Much Love,
Me

37 Weeks

Yesterday marked 37 weeks.  We're in the home stretch here, and I couldn't be any happier.  I am now considered full-term, so if Roland decides to make his appearance a bit early, everything should be good.  I'm still doing pretty well, but I definitely feel like a huge pregnant lady.  Lots of aches and pains, a little swelling.

Gotta be honest--I'm ready for Roland to get here!  I mean, I still have so much more I need to do around the house to get ready...but I'm ready for him to come home, even though I'm not quite ready...if that makes any sense.  It seems like by the time I get out of bed, get showered and dressed (some days, I don't get that far...) and get on my computer, I'm pooped.  Once in awhile I'll find myself with a burst of energy, but those are getting few and far between!'

I need more lists...