She's here!

Miss Caroline did not want to wait until her scheduled exit and made her appearance on April 18th! We had stayed up late watching movies and were getting ready to go to bed right about midnight. Every night since about 35 weeks Mike has asked me if we are having a baby that night and every night I said "I don't know. Maybe." Well Friday night I said "No. I think she will be here on Monday." Well, literally two minutes later I am crawling into bed and my water broke. Mike was already in bed and jumped up and started getting things ready and I just stood frozen for about a minute. I changed clothes and we jumped into the car and started calling our parents. We got to the hospital at 12:30 a.m., got checked in and headed up to the labor and delivery suite. I was having a few contractions, but nothing very painful. They checked me and I was dilated to a 5. Pretty soon after that I started having very painful contractions that were getting closer together as I was getting my IV placed in my arm. When my parents and sister got there about 2 a.m. my contractions were about a minute apart and miserable. They checked me again and I was a 7. The anesthesiologist was on his way and I got my epidural about 3 a.m. Wayne and Carla got there a few mintues later and I was feeling so much better. The OB got there a little before 4 a.m. They checked me and I was a 10! I started pushing around 4:10 and she was born at 4:28 a.m.

I had some postpartum bleeding issues that were extremely scary for both Mike and I, especially because we knew too well what was going on. I had to get another emergency IV and added a couple medicines to control the bleeding. I could barely keep my eyes open and Mike was trying to keep me with him. I couldn't see Caroline and I couldn't lift my head up because I was so weak. Luckily my bleeding finally got controlled. Normal vaginal deliveries lose about 300 ml of blood and I lost about 800 ml. I had to keep my IV with fluids running basically until we left the hospital, but my blood count was on the high side when I had come in, so my blood count dropped to the low end of normal and I didn't require a blood transfusion. Once I was able to eat, I started feeling much better. Everyone at the hospital was impressed with how fast I bounced back and we are very thankful that I did. We left the hostpital at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, exactly 36 hours after we got there.

Miss Caroline weighed 7 pounds 11 ounces and 20 inches long and came out with a full head of hair. As she was coming out, one of the nurses said she we were going to need a ponytail holder. She immediately took to nursing and has been nursing amazingly since she got home. She has had tons of wonderful visitors and doesn't get very fussy at all. She has her first peditrician visit tomorrow. Here are just a few of the million pictures we have taken started right after delivery until today.

38 Weeks

This last couple of weeks have drug by. I do not do well having so little to do. Since we were scared the baby was going to come early, I rushed around doing all the little things I had put off doing until April and now don't really have much to do. Except wait!! Last week Mike had the day off and was able to come to my 37 week OB appt. He had his hopes up that it would be go time and was pretty bummed when it wasn't.

I went to my 38 week appt today and my OB told me she was worried that I had gone to another hospital, because she was sure I would've had the baby by now! I had made more progress-I am now "a good four", pretty much completely effaced and her head is basically as low as it can go! She doesn't like to induce before 39 weeks, but feels that me and the baby are ready. So if she hasn't come by Monday, we are inducing on Monday when we are 39 weeks! Mike was a little bummed again when I called and told him that it wasn't going to be today, but we are both so glad to see a light at the end of the tunnel! Four weeks of "any day" and we finally have a definite day! If she wants to come before that, she is welcome, but we are hoping that she doesn't come on Saturday since that is Alix and Tyler's prom and that would just be too complicated! Hopefully I can spend the next three days resting up. I have been having a hard enough time sleeping as it is, I can only imagine how my sleep will be Sunday night!! Here is my most recent belly picture and a comparison with how big miss Caroline is!

36 Weeks!

Well, we have had a lot of excitement in the past two weeks. We had our second shower in Orlando on March 22. We were planning on going to 9:15 service and then going straight to Orlando. I woke up with a little cramping, but it really started accelerating on the ride to church. Church and the car ride were miserable. Luckily I felt better if I stood up or walked around, so I stood up the entire shower. Awkward, a little, but I did not care. So at my 35 week appt. on March 26, I told her about the cramping so she decided to go ahead and check me. I was 2-3 cm dilated and 70% effaced. She told me that I don't get to leave town anymore and was really worried that I was not going to last the weekend.

Luckily I did since I still had two more days of my rotation to finish although my preceptor would have been completely cool with me missing two days. Saturday we had record snow fall. 7 inches in Tulsa. I was terrified I would go into labor and not be able to make it to the hospital. Mike had made reservations at a bed and breakfast for my birthday and after two unsuccessful tries, we finally made it out of the driveway. It was a beautiful B&B cabin and once the snow stopped falling it started melting quickly. Can you tell how swollen my face is?

I made it through my last two days of my rotations, but Tuesday I was more swollen than I had ever felt before and just felt off. I had my pre-admission appt for the hospital and my 36 week appt on Weds. My blood pressure was high at the hospital. I got to go on a tour of the labor and delivery department and it is amazing! I went to my appt. and my blood pressure was still really high. My swelling was out of control, even though I had been off my feet. At that appt., I was 3-4 cms dilated. I got sent over to L&D for observation and labs. Luckily, everything turned out well and the nurses were great. Now I am on modified bed rest, basically I am supposed to stay off of my feet unless I have to at least until Monday when I am 37 weeks and officially term. Everyone is super worried and concerned, which is incredibly sweet, but I HATE needing help or having people worry about me! My mom came and stayed with me Thursday and Friday since Mike is over an hour away during the day. We are so excited about meeting our daughter, but want her to stay inside until she is ready! Everyone has been amazing and Caroline and I are so lucky to have such wonderful family!! Here is my most recent belly pic.