Duke Owen Baker

One of my favorite things to talk about is the birth of my babies. The joy, the excitement, the unknown of it all is like a rush of emotions, and I love to relive it over and over. Since Duke is almost a year old, I figured I better jot his story down before I forget it! Some details are already fleeting, so thankfully I had notes in my phone!

Let me just start off by saying how ecstatic we were to find out that he was a boy! Drew wanted and was convinced it was another girl. I just remember being on cloud 9 after we had his ultrasound... every day felt like Christmas! 

Since I had a partial abruption with Sadie, I had to be extra cautious this time around... no running, no heavy lifting, minimal physical activity... my doctor didn't want to take any chances. As I got closer to the end of my pregnancy, I started getting a little uncomfortable but nothing out of the ordinary. I was blessed to have felt as good as I did towards the end.

However, the last few weeks I was convinced that she would check me and say I was dilated because I thought I could tell that things were progressing or he was dropping or something! But nope. Every week, she'd say, "well... nothing! You're not dilated at all! Not even a little bit!" I'd leave so discouraged, but thankful everything was fine.

She set me up for an induction at 39 weeks because she wanted to be in control of my labor and didn't want me having him when I couldn't get to the hospital in time. We went in super early Friday, January 23, 2020 at 5:30. We got checked in, signed papers, changed into my hospital gown, and settled in for the long haul. 

Around 7:30 Dr. Watson came in to break my water and they started me on Pitocin. The nurses brought a big ball in for me to sit on in hopes of getting Duke to drop and help me dilate. Drew and I sat around talking, joking, laughing, and making guesses of what Duke would be like. I could feel some contractions, but they were very manageable. Nothing painful yet.

Drew left mid morning to go grab some breakfast. He was nervous about leaving me but I assured him I'd be fine. I was nowhere near close to having the baby. When he left, I turned on the Lindsay McCaul station on Pandora and sat there on my ball, humming to my baby boy. It was such a calm and peaceful morning.

A little before 11 Dr. Watson came by again. I had started to dilate but Duke was still sitting high. She suggested I go ahead and get my epidural because she knew how fast I labor once I get going, and she wanted to make sure I had time to get it. I sort of felt like I was cheating the system. I hadn't even gotten to the painful contractions yet?! But she assured me the epidural would not wear off and it would be fine. I agreed, and I got the epidural about 11 that morning.

The nurses brought in a peanut ball and I held in between my knees while I laid on my left side for about 30 minutes. The nurse checked me again, but there was no progress so she told me to flip over to my right side. After laying there for a bit, I started making some progress. She checked me again and I was 6cm. She said she felt something over his head but wasn't sure what it was. It was either the umbilical cord or his hand above his head.

She waited until my next contraction and checked me again and he dropped right then! She told me to call for her if I started feeling pressure. She came back about 20 minutes later and I was 8cm. I was feeling pressure at this point and told her I almost had the urge to push. 

About 20 more minutes went by and she checked me one more time. She said I was almost fully dilated, and they helped me get on my back. Dr. Watson and the nurses came in. Everyone was getting dressed, scurrying around getting ready for a baby! That's one of my favorite moments. There's such excitement in the air and it's almost baby time! 

I pushed through 2 contractions and he was born! He came out sideways "like a linebacker." Since he took so long to drop, he didn't spend much time in the birth canal so he had a perfectly shaped melon, according to Dr. Watson.

They immediately laid him on my chest and he just laid there melting into me. I couldn't even see him because he was so close to my face but I didn't care. It didn't matter what he looked like in that moment, because my son was here. He was alive and healthy and all was right in our world. The nurse offered to take him to get his measurements and I remember saying, "Not yet... just let me hold him a little bit longer!"

Also, we think it must've been his little hand that the nurse felt over his head because when he was born, he had a tiny scratch on the top of his head. 

Funny story... while Duke was laying on my chest, I couldn't see well because he was blocking my view but I could feel something on my stomach. I grabbed it and asked Drew, "Aww, is this his foot?" Drew had the most disgusted look on his face and said, "Ugh! NO. DON'T TOUCH THAT!" Turns out, it was the umbilical cord. Lol!

 

Sadie Elise Baker

I've come to accept the fact that my days of consistent blogging are over. There's just no time for it, and that's ok because it means my time is filled up with something better. My kids. All three of them.

I wanted to share Sadie's story so I don't forget. Sometimes I like to go back and read their birth stories just to relive the excitement and newness of those days. There's nothing better than bringing a new life into this world. 

On Wednesday, September 23rd, I had my 38 week checkup with Dr. Watson. I had gotten sick that morning and mentioned it to her but she assured me it was normal (something I already knew.) She checked me but I hadn't dilated at all, no sign of thinning, and baby was still very high. I was actually relieved at all that because Drew had to be out of town that night and all the next day. 

That afternoon I picked Livy up from Annie's and we went to get pedicures. When we got home I wasn't feeling very good. I felt sick to my stomach and was having some contractions, but I knew they were only Braxton Hicks. I texted Drew all evening wishing he was home. I was just nervous about not feeling good with him being so far away. 

Thankfully we made it through the night just fine but I felt terrible on Thursday. My stomach was hard as a rock. There was hardly any relief like you get between contractions. It was rock hard all day long. I had a hard time feeling the baby move which was stressing me out. Not to mention having to take care of Livy and Charlotte (who still needs me for so much!) 

I was in tears by that afternoon. I was ready for Drew to get home from his meetings and to figure out why I felt so bad. By 4pm I had convinced myself to call Dr. Watson's nurse. I just wanted to hear her say all was normal. But by the time I called, their office was closed and they had gone home for the day. 

Livy had dance at 5:30, so I loaded the kids up and we headed to dance. We actually passed Drew on the way and he offered to turn around but I assured him I'd be fine. We were out of milk so I was just going to run in Walgreens while she was at ballet, pick her up, then we'd be home for the evening. 

I had a lot of contractions while we were out and I even texted Drew about it. I think my exact words were I've had about 48,000 contractions since we left home. Ha!

By the time we got home I could tell the contractions were becoming a little more intense. I started timing them out of curiosity... I wasn't sure if they were still Braxton Hicks or if they were the real thing. They were between 5-7 minutes apart. So I started thinking this might be real.

I decided to go take a bath to see if that would change anything. Nope. They were now 5 minutes apart. I got out and told Drew these might actually be real contractions. An hour or so went by and when I went to the bathroom I noticed there was some pink on the toilet paper. I decided to call Labor & Delivery in El Dorado to get their opinion on if/when I should come over. 

I explained everything and the nurse said it was completely up to me. I hated to drive over there just to be sent back home so I decided to wait it out a little longer. We decided it might be a good idea to get some bags packed so I tried to pack the baby's bag and just couldn't. I was having too many contractions. So I laid on the bed while I told Drew what to pack. 

He put the girls in bed and I was still having contractions. I told him I had half a mind to go on over there just so they could check me out and see if I was actually in labor. 

About 5 minutes later, I felt something pop and it hurt! Drew knew immediately something was different by my reaction. He asked if my water broke and I said "I don't think so. Nothing came out?" I got up to go to the bathroom and when I sat down it all came out. I said "Drew, that's not pee. We better go to the hospital." Then I looked in the toilet and realized it was filled with bright red blood. I knew something wasn't right. 

I got dressed while Drew called for his parents to come stay with the girls. I called the nurse back and she said we needed to come right then. 

We had just turned off our road when she called me back and said we better just go to Magnolia hospital just to be safe. I called Magnolia's hospital to fill them in and let them know we were on our way. By the time I got up to a room, the contractions were steadily becoming more intense and closer together. The nurse checked me once I got settled in bed, and I was 2-3cm. I told her how fast I tend to labor so she'd be prepared.

Before I went into labor, I had pretty much convinced myself that I did not want any pain medication. The recovery with Charlotte was so easy and I was determined to do it naturally again. But after a few more contractions, I looked at Drew and said, "I want that epidural." He said, "Are you sure? Think about that easy recovery..." I cut him off. I said, "You think about recovery. I'm getting an epidural!!!" The nurse said that they actually do spinals, where you go completely numb from the waist down. That sounded wonderful!

I was beginning to feel a lot of pressure during the contractions and I told the nurse she better check me again. Now I was 4-5cm, and thankfully the lady with the goods was on her way! When she walked in I asked, "Are you my angel?" Ha! The nurse checked me one more time and I was 7cm. As soon as I got the spinal, I laid down and my feet started to tingle. I had one more contraction that I could feel, but it didn't hurt. After that, I seriously could not feel a thing!

Maybe 10-15 minutes later, the nurse checked me one more time and said I was fully dilated and it was time to push! While they were scurrying around preparing for the baby, Drew was holding my hand and I asked, "Is this real? I mean, I'm not dreaming am I??" It was all happening so fast!

The doctor told me when it was time to push, and to be honest, I couldn't tell if I was pushing or not! I felt absolutely no pain! I pushed about 3 times, and she was out!

But as soon as she came out, there was blood everywhere. I could tell by the doctors' and nurses' reactions that something wasn't right. I looked down at Sadie who was covered in blood. She had a healthy cry, but I could tell she was gurgling in between cries. The nurses immediately took her and started syphoning blood out of her by a tube down her nose. I heard the doctor say that he thought it was a placental abruption.

They said Sadie had swallowed a lot of blood, but other than that she was completely healthy. It took a while for them to get all the blood out of her and to get me all fixed up. But after about 45 minutes or so, I finally got to hold my sweet Sadie. My third little girl. Drew had the biggest smile on his face, and I had tears in my eyes. I laid there and thanked God repeatedly for this healthy baby. I knew things could've gone so wrong with this delivery, but He protected us.

Sadie weighed 8 pounds, 1 ounce, and was 20.5 inches long. She was stunningly beautiful!

Two days after we brought her home, she had a doctor visit to follow up on her jaundice. Long story short, she was extremely jaundiced so we had to spend 2 more nights in the hospital. That was tough. I just wanted to be at home and enjoy being a family of five but instead Sadie and I had to stay in the hospital while Drew and the girls were at home. I had to feed Sadie every 2 hours day and night to help the jaundice go down. It was very tiring, physically and emotionally! But after 3 days we finally got to come home! 

A Third Blessing

I wrote this almost a year ago. It was about a week after we found out we were pregnant with Sadie and for some reason I just never posted it. So here it is now...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I cannot even begin to describe the excitement and joy that has filled my heart.

I used to dream about a day when we might be "surprised" by a positive pregnancy test but in the back of my mind I never thought it would be possible. I had to use Clomid to get pregnant with Olivia, then I went through 23 months of infertility struggles to get pregnant with Charlotte. Those 23 months were filled with multiple doctors, medications, shots (some were even self-given), a miscarriage, and 2 IUI attempts. It was so heartbreaking. I've written about it before so I won't go back through all the details, but it was tough. But finally, on Mother's Day 2013, we got pregnant with Charlotte!

I say all of this to support my thinking that I really never thought we'd be able to have a baby on our own. And I was ok with that. In fact, Drew and I had already started weighing our options about baby #3. I was due for an annual check-up in March so I was planning on asking my doctor then what she would suggest we do. Maybe start off with Clomid again? Or just cut to the chase and head straight to the infertility doctor in Shreveport where we had our IUIs done?

After having Charlotte, we were open to having another baby. Of course we wanted one... not too soon, but if the Lord blessed us with another baby we would've been thrilled, no matter the timing! And then nothing happened, which wasn't surprising given my history, and I was also still breastfeeding which tends to lessen your chances of getting pregnant. I would sporadically take pregnancy tests just to "make sure" I wasn't pregnant and after several negative tests, I just stopped taking them. It brought back lots of memories of one negative test after another when trying after Olivia and I was determined not to beat myself up with grief like I did back then.

I had one cycle in December and that was it. Nothing since then, which also wasn't surprising. That's very normal for me so I never gave it a second thought.

Last Sunday we ate lunch with some friends at a Mexican restaurant after church and then came home to get ready for the annual Youth Bake Sale that night. The entire time I was baking my cake I was having horrible chest pains. It hurt all throughout my chest and even spread to my shoulders and down my arms a little... it was actually sort of scary. It would not go away! I finally went and laid down in bed to get some relief and I told Drew about it. He said,

"It's probably just heartburn from lunch."
"No, it can't be heartburn. I only get that when I'm pregnant."

Then said, "Alright!!" And tried to fist bump me.
"Listen, I would love to fist bump you over that, but I can tell you right now that's not possible!"

A little while later Drew left for church and I was in the kitchen finishing up my cake. I kept thinking about what he said. Heartburn. Honestly, I've never had it when I wasn't pregnant, and I just couldn't shake the thought. I knew I had a couple of tests still in the bathroom drawer and I thought what the heck!? I'll take one just to clear the air and get it off my mind. It'll be negative like it usually is and I'll go about my business. No big deal.

As soon as those 3 little drops hit the test and the results started to creep up the strip, I immediately saw a dark red line. And then another red line. 2 lines? What in the world? Like an idiot, I checked the box again to make sure I was reading this thing right! It was positive. My brain automatically started thinking of reasons why this had to be a false positive. I think I was just too scared to get excited! I had one more test left in the drawer so I quickly tore it open and tested it too, just to make sure the first wasn't a fluke. Same thing... 2 dark red lines!

Boy, then I really started having chest pains! Ha! It was such a mixture of emotions. Total shock, joy, happiness, and a little disbelief. I think my brain freaked out for a little while. I knew I had to tell Drew. I couldn't just call him and it was way too important to text, and I couldn't wait one more minute!! So I just loaded Charlotte up in the car (Livy was at Pappy and Annie's), grabbed the positive tests, and drove straight to the church to find Drew.

The whole way I prayed,

"Lord... thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Wait. Is this real? Lord, if this is real, thank you! If this isn't real... no, it's real. Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Drew met me at the car and I said,

"So I figured out why my chest was hurting so bad..." and I held out the tests in my hand.
"What is that??"
"What does it look like?"
I could see his wheels turning verrrrry slowly and then he got it. "Really?"
"Yep!!!"
"Really??"
"Yes!!!"
"Seriously???"
"YES!!!!!"
"Man, that's awesome!!"

Then we sat there in the parking lot giggling and searching for words... with our 12 month old in the back seat! Who will now be a big sister?!

I tell ya... I am SO EXCITED! I really feel like we've defied all odds here. We got pregnant on the very first try while I'm still breastfeeding. I really can't grasp how it happened so so easily this time around. Thanks be to God, that's for sure!

I feel a little like the father from the book of Mark. The father asked Jesus if He could heal his demon possessed son...
23Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
24And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

How many times have I thought that exact same thing? I believe, but help my unbelief. Lord, I know You can, I'm just not sure if You will. In this instance, He can and He did. I don't feel worthy of being blessed this much but I am ever so grateful and thankful!

Breastfeeding 101 with Livy Lou

 

It's no secret that Olivia has been excited about having a baby in the house since the very first day we told her I was pregnant. She immediately started talking about all the things she would do with the baby... change the diapers, rock her, sing to her, feed her... and I've tried to be very open with her (on a 3 year old's level, of course) about everything that would happen, including breastfeeding. It has opened her eyes to a whole new world and the things she says about it are just down right hilarious!

Before Charlotte was born, I had gotten the breast pump out one day to make sure everything was washed, cleaned, and ready to go...
"What is that?"
"It's called a breast pump."
"What do you do with it?"
"Well... did you know that I'll feed the baby with the milk that's in my boobs? That's how I fed you when you were a baby. And this pump will help me get the milk out for when I need to use a bottle."
"Mom! You're gonna feed the baby with your BOOBS??? But I wanted to do it!!!"

Then after I had Charlotte, the whole family was still in the hospital room visiting and they were trying to decide where they were going to eat for lunch. When they left I was going to feed Charlotte and try to rest a little while. Livy came up to me and said,
"Mama, I wanna help you feed Charlotte."
"Well, do you remember how I'm gonna feed her?"
"Yea, with your boobs."
"That's right. You go eat with everybody and when you get back you can hold her, Ok?"
"Ok!"
Next thing I know, she runs up to Pappy and shouts,
"Hey Pappy! My mama's gonna feed Charlotte with her BOOBS!!"

We all had a good laugh over that one.

Once we were home, we still had family over, so I was going back to our bedroom to feed Charlotte, and I thought that would be the perfect time to let Livy see how I fed her. I figured once she saw me feed Charlotte, it wouldn't be a big deal anymore. So she gladly tagged along. Charlotte started making some funny faces and Livy said,
"Baby Charlotte says 'Boobs are gross!'"
"No they're not."
"Well, she's making a face. I don't wanna eat your boobs."
Trying to contain my laughter. "You wont, sweetie. Just babies do that."
"Oh. Well, it looks like she's gonna eat your whole boob!"
"No she won't."
"Oh yea... because she doesn't have teeth yet."

It has been one funny thing after another! She always knows how to make us laugh!

Charlotte Emily Baker

Well, SHE'S here! Yep, that's right, this baby that we waited a long 9 months to meet is a sweet precious little girl!

I can't even begin to describe how much we love her. I want to write her story out before too much time passes and I start to forget the details...

We were supposed to check-in at the hospital at 7:00pm Thursday night. That afternoon, the nurse called and asked us to come at 8:00pm because they still didn't have our room ready. What's one more hour when you've waited 9 months? It actually worked out fine. That day was Scott's birthday, so we were able to meet them, along with Pappy and Annie, for dinner at The Rails. The nurse had told me to eat a big dinner so I'd have energy, but to be honest, food was the last thing on my mind at that point. I managed to eat a baked potato, then after supper, Drew and I ran by Wal-Mart because we were out of cat food (of all things?!) We swung by the house, picked up Zoe, and took her to Pappy and Annie's. We said a quick goodbye to our Livy Lou, and we were on our way!

We checked in to our room, I changed in to the ever fashionable hospital gown, they hooked me up to the monitors, and I settled in to my bed for the long haul! Then we waited. And waited. And waited some more. There were 2 other women being induced so the nurses were super busy. I finally got an IV around 10:30pm.

Since we were following the same plan as we did with Olivia and she was born around noon, we were figuring this baby would come about mid-morning. So we had told our family to expect a call sometime the next morning. Well, when I was just getting an IV at 10:30pm, I started thinking it may be more like noon or afternoon before the baby is born. I was starting to get frustrated because I was so ready to get the show on the road. When I had Olivia, I was so naive, because I had no idea what labor would be like. But with Charlotte, I knew exactly what was coming, and I was extremely nervous. I was just ready for it to be over! I was thinking I would be in labor all night and well on into the morning... but thankfully, God had a different plan...

11:30pm... The nurse finally came in and gave me the Cytotec pill. She also checked me and I was still 2cm dilated and about 70% effaced. I had already been having contractions on my own, and every time one started up, I'd get Drew to tell me what the machines said. Since I was laying in bed, I couldn't see it myself and I was curious to know how "strong" they were on a chart. The nurses were busy and didn't come in our room very often, so I wasn't getting a play-by-play of what was going on. That meant Drew and I were left to come up with the scenarios on our own. Scary, right?! Ha! We noticed the contraction machine was called TOCO, which we referred to as "TACO". We were trying to Google how to read the machine correctly, and every time I would have a contraction I'd ask him, "So what does "TACO" say about this one?" Probably not as funny as we thought it was at the time, but it was a good distraction!

12:00am... I noticed my contractions began to pick up within 30 minutes of taking the Cytotec. They were getting stronger and much closer together! The nurse came in to check on me and I asked her what exactly Cytotec was supposed to do. She said it's mainly used to ripen the cervix to prepare your body for labor. Sometimes it puts women into labor and sometimes it doesn't; it's different for everyone. I told her I could already tell a big difference, so we started getting excited! Not long after the nurse left, Drew came over to the bed, kissed me, and said the sweetest prayer for us and the baby. Just another reason why I love him so! Then we both tried to get a little rest. He was much more successful than I was, but he didn't get to sleep much either.

2:00am... I hung in there for a couple hours and the contractions were really getting stronger. They were leaving the uncomfortable stage and heading right towards painful. I asked Drew if he would go get the nurse because I wanted her to check me to see if I had progressed any. She said I was now 3cm dilated... not exactly what I wanted to hear! She asked what my pain level was on a scale from 1-10. Boy, do I hate answering that question! I don't want to sound like a pansy, but at the same time... I'm in pain! I slighted myself a little and said about a 4 or 5, but really I was feeling worse than that. She let me go to the bathroom while she went to get me some Demoral so I could get some rest. As soon as the Demoral went through my IV, my words started to slur and I could barely keep my eyes open! That stuff works! If only the contractions wouldn't have been so strong, I might would've been able to get some sleep. The nurse told me to rest and she probably wouldn't check me again until about 6:00am when they would give me the Pitocin.


3:30am... Somehow I managed to doze off in between contractions, and I woke up suddenly to my water breaking! Drew was asleep, and I told him to go get the nurse, STAT! For real, I knew it was about to be go time. I was feeling so much pressure! The nurse came in, checked me, and said I was 5cm dilated now. She called the anesthesiologist (who was at home) to come in for my epidural. Right after my water broke, things just got intense. Contractions were super painful, long, and very close together. Poor Drew tried to help the situation by stroking my hair and saying, "Just think of the beach..." to which I kindly responded, "Please don't talk." I really wasn't trying to be mean, but when you're about to push a baby out, thinking of the beach does you no good.


3:45am... About 15 minutes went by and I could tell something was happening. The pressure I was feeling was so extreme! Again, I made Drew go get the nurse. She came in, checked me, and said, "Ok, sweetie, you're a 9cm... I'm gonna lay you down and let's try not to push, Ok?" At this point, some things are a blur to me. When you're in so much pain, you don't always realize what's going on around you. They called Dr. Watson (who was also at home) to come immediately! Between contractions, I was begging for that epidural. I was so scared I was about to have this baby with no pain medication!

4:15am... Finally, the anesthesiologist showed up. I was still begging for the epidural. Actually, I think I remember saying, "Just give me anything!" Haha! I couldn't see this, but Drew said the anesthesiologist looked at the nurse, the nurse looked at her, and they both shook their heads like... there's no way... there's not enough time. But obviously they didn't want to tell me that so they tried their best to satisfy my mind. There was no way I could even sit up for an epidural, so they layed me on my side and rubbed some of that stuff on my back (I have no idea what it's called).

It wasn't long before I felt the most extreme pain I have ever felt before in my life. That baby was coming out whether we were ready or not. I told my nurse, "It's coming out!!!" I remember looking up at Drew, who was right by my head, and he had this look of terror on his face. I was scaring him. Afterwards, he said he just felt helpless. There was nothing he could do and he was so scared for me. I was scared because I had no idea how bad this was about to hurt! All of a sudden I felt another contraction coming, I told my nurse, and she told me not to push. She tried getting me to pant through it, but it was no use. The baby was coming! It was like I had no control over my body, and I didn't need to. My body knew exactly what it was doing. The baby was seriously coming out. They rolled me onto my back and literally, in 2 pushes, she was out at 4:22am.

It was instant relief for me. I immediately said, "What is it? What is it?" And my nurse said, "It's your baby!" Haha! We have laughed and laughed about that moment! 

The anesthesiologist and the nurse delivered my sweet baby. Dr. Watson came in not long after and Charlotte was already laying on the table getting cleaned up. Looking back, as painful and as scary as it was, it is so amazing to be able to say I gave birth to my daughter all natural. Without any pain medication. Just more proof to how amazing God is. He designed us in a way that our bodies know exactly what to do. Even though it didn't go according to my plan, it did go according to His. And for that I am thankful.


Charlotte Emily Baker was born at 4:22am. She weighted 9 pounds, 11 ounces, and was 21 inches long.
 

 

39 Week Check-Up

39 weeks

Heartbeat: 140

+1 lbs

We went to our last prenatal appointment this morning. Starting Monday morning, I could tell something was different. I felt different. I didn't know exactly what it was, but I knew I must be making some sort of progress. I woke up Tuesday morning with an achy stomach. I'm not sure how to describe it other than my whole stomach just ached, and I almost felt nauseous at times. That was new, so I was hoping it meant labor was coming!

Drew decided to work from home this morning so he could drive me to our appointment, and I was so relieved! I was a little nervous about having to make the trip by myself. We packed our hospital bags just in case, dropped Livy off with Annie, and headed to the doctor's office.

We waited for an hour in the waiting room. The suspense was killing me! I couldn't wait to hear what the doctor had to say! I described everything I had been feeling, and she assured me it all sounded like I was headed in the direction of labor. She checked me and said I am 2cm dilated, 60-70% effaced, and baby was nice and low! Then she said, "Do you want to wait this out or are you ready to make a move?"

Uhh... let's move. No doubt!

So she told us to go eat a big lunch, then a light supper, and be at the hospital tonight at 7pm. She would start me on Cytotec to pick up my contractions, maybe take another Cytotec around 2am, and depending on how well I reacted to that, possibly start Pitocin first thing in the morning. This wasn't a new plan for me... it was exactly what I did when I had Liv.

We were so excited! We texted everyone the good news while we enjoyed our "big lunch." And of course, all we talked about was the baby. Boy or girl? Would the baby look like Livy? We couldn't wait to see Livy hold the baby!

Drew had some things he needed to get done at work, so we pretended it was Take Your Wife to Work With You day, and I hung out with him in his office.

We hadn't been there long when I got a call from Dr. Watson's office... it was her nurse, Michelle. She said due to some new hospital policy, they would have to move my induction date from tonight to tomorrow night. Apparently, the hospital can only have 3 scheduled inductions at one time in order to leave room for any women in labor that happen to walk in. They already had 3 scheduled and I made #4, so I got the boot. Michelle apologized over and over for the confusion. I was so bummed! I know it's just a 24 hour difference, one day, but she might as well have said come back next week!

Soo... we have the same plan, it has just shifted back one day. Instead of going in on Wednesday night, we go Thursday night. The wait really hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be. My sweet friend, Kelly, took me to get a pedicure tonight. It was so relaxing, and I'm sure the nurses will be very appreciative that they won't have to look at my rough cinder block feet now! Ha! The wait also meant we got to spend one more night as a family of 3. Livy curled up on the couch with me about 8:30pm and fell asleep. That rarely happens! And it was just what I needed... extra muggle time with my best girl.

I'm also hoping I might progress a little more on my own tomorrow, getting me a little bit closer to that epidural! I'm a little nervous about labor, because I know what's coming. But I'm also hoping it'll go quickly! I'm just so excited and ready to see who this is that I've been carrying with me for 9 months.

Hopefully next time I post, it'll be a birth announcement!

38 Week Check-Up

38 weeks

Heartbeat: 150-155

+1 lbs

I only gained a pound this week bringing the total to 23 pounds in all. I'm pretty pumped about that. Less I'll have to work off after baby is here! 

She said the heart rate was about 150, but when the baby started moving around it jumped up to 155. 

She said I'm 1cm dilated but my cervix is softened up and ready to go. She said I would probably dilate pretty quickly once contractions pick up. She also said that because I have a "pretty significantly good sized baby" (her words, not mine!) that I don't have to wait until my due date to induce labor. I really did not want to be induced again, but I also don't want to be pushing out a 10 pounder! 

We go back next Wednesday and we could have a baby as early as Thursday! She's basically leaving it up to us to pick the date, which us not as easy as it sounds! All along, my due date was February 3rd, but if we induce next Thursday we'll have a January baby. So which month should we pick? What date? What's easiest to remember? So many decisions! 

We're just going to wait and see what's happening next Wednesday at my appointment and then we'll go from there. 

How excited am I??? I can't even put it into words! I can't wait to see who this baby is!!!

37 Week Check-Up

37 weeks

Heartbeat:???

+0 lbs

I'm getting really bad at forgetting to ask what the heart rate is. I kept giggling while she was trying to listen because my belly was jumping all over the place. The heart beat was much easier to find this time though! My blood pressure was a little high today, but I'm pretty sure that's normal towards the end of pregnancy... right?! I didn't gain any weight this week though! Which means so far I've gained 22 pounds. Not too shabby. 

I told Drew that in my mind after Dr. Watson checked me today, she would say Oh my! You're already 4cm dilated... just head on over to the hospital and get your epidural. We'll have us a baby today! And that was pretty much how it happened... except for it wasn't at all how it happened. Ha! She said I'm not quite a 1cm; however, my cervix is softened. Basically, just keep cooking, Baby Baker! 

I've reached the point in the pregnancy where I'm just over it. Not a complaining/griping over it sort of way, just over it because I'm so ready to meet this little one! It's consuming my mind, and it's all I can think about! Boy or girl... girl or boy! And I know, I know... I did this to myself by not finding out! But it'll be so exciting on delivery day! 

Livy's bag is packed and ready to stay with Pappy and Annie whenever the time comes. She's got her BIG SIS shirt ready to wear! My bag and baby's bag are a different story. I should probably get on that, just in case! We cleaned out the truck today and have it ready to install the car seat. Livy is so excited that the baby gets to ride right beside her. 

I've been trying to do some extra cleaning around the house and keep it picked up in case we have to leave at a moment's notice... but normally I start cleaning and I'm all gung-ho, then 10 minutes later I'm exhausted. So I go sit down to rest and all I can think about is baby. lol Yea, I'm pretty useless these days. We really are down to a waiting game. 

I go back for another appointment next Thursday. Maybe we'll get some good news!

The Bad Baby Drawer

 

Yesterday, when I picked Livy up from Children's Church, I was looking through all her papers and noticed this drawing on the back of one. 

"Liv, did you draw the baby?"

"Yea, and I wrote my name."

"Well, that was really sweet!"

"Thanks, but... Julie helped me draw the baby and it's not very good."

"What? Why is it not good?"

"Well, Julie's just not a very good drawer."

 I thought I was going to fall over laughing so hard!

"Well, Liv, people are better at some things than others, so it's OK."

I caught Julie before we left church and told her what Livy had just said. Julie started laughing and said that Livy had asked her to draw the baby, and when she was done Livy told her it wasn't very good... that she needed to try again! Ha! So that's why there's 2 babies in the picture. Julie said she finally gave up on drawing and just wrote Olivia's name and Liv said,

"There, that's better."

I had to apologize for my super critical daughter. I still laugh about it though, I can't get over it.

36 Week Check-Up

36 weeks

Heartbeat:??? <----- She didn't say, and I forgot to ask!

-1 lb <----- Woo hoo!!!

I went into this appointment ready to see if I was dilated at all, and possibly ready to go register at the hospital. I thought I started all those things at 36 weeks with Liv... but we did neither today. I was a little disappointed. I think it was just because the office was so busy this morning! 

She had a little trouble finding the heartbeat, which is why I don't know what the heart rate was this time. However, I wasn't concerned. Drew asked if that scared me when she couldn't find it... not at all. This baby is constantly moving so I knew there was no reason to worry. Dr. Watson said it was just tough to hear because of the way the baby was laying. The baby is still in the head down position though, praise the Lord!

I've been having a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions lately. Sometimes I'll have up to 4 or 5 in an hour, and sometimes they're very spread out. They're not painful but they certainly aren't unnoticeable. Sometimes I have to stop and just close my eyes for a little while. It gives me a little hope for going into labor on my own... Oh, I dream of the day! Ha!

33 Week Check-Up

33 weeks

Heartbeat: 160

+??? lbs 

Going into this appointment, we knew the baby had been hanging out in there completely sideways. So when Dr. Watson asked if we had any questions or concerns, I brought up the possibility of a C-section if the baby never turns. She said we wouldn't necessarily have to have a C-section. At 37 weeks, she would do an ultrasound to determine the position of the baby, placenta, cord, and all that good stuff. If everything looked fine, she would admit me to the hospital, hook me up to monitors, give me medication to relax my uterus, and physically turn the baby into a head down position. Then she would go ahead and induce me to avoid the risk of the baby moving back into a sideways position. 

All of that to say... the entire time she was telling me this, I just kept thinking 37 WEEKS??? That's only 3.5 weeks away and our baby only has 4 outfits! We're nowhere near ready for this!

Then she had me lie down so she could measure me. The first words out of her mouth were, "Well, there's the head right there. This baby is head down!"

Hallelujah!

Of course, the baby could move again but as for now it's in the correct position. 

I'm a little late updating this post, so now I'm technically 34, almost 35 weeks. We go back to the doctor on January 8th. Time is really flying by! There are days when I can't wait to meet this baby, and then there are days when I just want Olivia to be an only child a little longer. I hope that doesn't sound too terrible. I think every mom has those thoughts. I just know our world is about to change. Right now, we have a great routine going... Livy is sleeping all night, it's so easy to load her up and go anywhere, and she is terrific in public. We're about to enter back into the land of long nights, crying, diaper bags, pacifiers, spit up, poopy diapers, and finding private places to breastfeed in public (and I mean super private!)

But I'm so excited for it all! Olivia is going to be such a great help to me and I can't wait to love on another baby. Bring it on, February!

31 Week Check-Up

31 weeks

Heartbeat: 146

+4 lbs 

The plan was for me to go in at 30 weeks for a check-up, and then I'd go in every 2 weeks. But since that was Thanksgiving and my doctor was out of town, we had to push it back until December 6th.

I only gained 4lbs this month which is MUCH better than the 10 I gained last month! Ha!

We also found out the baby is completely sideways. She said I'm not measuring what I should be, but it's simply because the baby is not head down. She wasn't concerned about it and said there was still plenty of time for the baby to make his/her way downward. 

Also, the heart rate is continually dropping... It was 146 this time. All my friends who have had boys think I'm having a boy now. I gotta admit, it's fun to think about! Guess we'll see in about 7 weeks!

Update on the Baby's Room

I've slowly been working on the baby's room. It took me a while to get started. I had my eye on that fabric in Hobby Lobby for a long time, so I bought it a while back. At the time I was super excited about it and couldn't wait to get started on it. Then I let it sit there, and I started to doubt myself. Was this really what I wanted my baby's room to look like? But it was too late, I had already spent the money on that fabric, so there was no turning back.

 

I eventually drug my sewing machine out and started working on it. I did the bumper first. *Disclaimer: Honestly, I had no idea what I was doing. So it's definitely not perfect, but as long as you don't look too closely, it'll work. I made the crib skirt next, and finally some pillows. I gotta say, I just guessed how much fabric I was going to need when I bought it, and it turned out to be just what I needed! 

I made some pillow cases for some old Pier1 pillows that I don't use anymore.

The initials (CEB) will go in the frame above the crib. When I bought them, Hobby Lobby didn't have a B in the store, so I'm waiting for it to be delivered... any day now!

I've still got quite a bit to do, but I absolutely love the way it's turning out. I'm so glad I didn't change my mind! I will admit though, it's looking a little more on the boyish side to me, but I figured it'll be a lot easier to "girl it up" if we need to, than the other way around. Oh, I can't wait to meet who we're bringing home!

27 Week Check-Up

27 weeks

Heartbeat: 150

+10 lbs <----- yikes!

 

So, yea... I gained 10 pounds this month. Dr. Watson didn't seem at all concerned. She said baby is growing well and I look great, so I'll try not to worry about it either. Technically, I lost weight in the beginning of this pregnancy, so I was due a few ten pounds, right?!

 

Not a lot has changed this month. The past couple days, I can't seem to keep my eyes open once the afternoon hits. I might or might not have fallen asleep. Ok, I did. This afternoon I kept waking up to Livy kissing my lips and saying,

 

"Aww, Mom... you're just a tired little girl aren't cha?"

 

She takes good care of me! ;)

 

I drank the yummy juice this morning so I could get my blood drawn for the glucose test. I should have those results back by Monday. Hopefully everything will look good there!

 

I go back on December 2nd, then every 2 weeks, and that means the countdown is on! For real!

 

Oh, and in some very exciting news for Mom and Dad, Livy has finally agreed that Charlotte and Cameron are pretty cool names after all. She was so set on Rapunzel/Eugene that she wouldn't even talk about any other names. I just kept telling her that Rapunzel was actually a princess name, and there was already a Rapunzel so we wouldn't be able to use that name. She eventually agreed. Woo hoo!

22 Week Check-Up

22 weeks

Heartbeat: 150

+5 lbs

I gained some weight this week, and the good news is I just now passed my pre-pregnancy weight. So overall I've only gained 4 lbs! Woo hoo! 

The baby's heart rate is steadily dropping... From 163, to 153, to 150... Makes me wonder if it may be a boy? I know they say there's no correlation between heart rate and determining the gender, but it seems like all my friends who have had boys usually have lower heart rates. Guess we'll wait and see! 

I'm still feeling pretty good. Baby is moving around pretty often. I had a good scare the other night though. I'm so used to feeling the baby move all throughout the day, so when Sunday night rolled around and I hadn't felt anything all day, I started to worry. I laid down flat, got really still, and waited for some movements but never felt anything. I had been super busy all day so I figured I just hadn't been still enough to feel anything. I knew everything was probably fine, but once you start thinking there could be something wrong, it's hard to shake those thoughts. When I got in bed that night, I just prayed for everything to be ok. During my prayer, I felt the slightest kick! I was so relieved. And ever since, the movements have been constant. Maybe the baby was just extra sleepy that day and needed a little more rest. 

Next time I go to my appointment, I'll be 27 weeks and I get to drink the juice for the glucose test. Hard to believe in less than a month I'll be in the 3rd trimester! I really need to get started on the nursery. So far I have the fabric for the bedding, and... That's about it. 

I can't wait to see that precious baby!

Party In My Belly

Today, one of my best friends found out she's having a boy! I had a feeling it would be a boy. Somehow, I always get these feelings about everyone else's children, but never have a clue as to what I'm having! With Olivia, I never had a "mother's intuition" of whether she was a boy or a girl... Until the ultrasound reveal. And it's the same way with #2. I have no idea!

But there's one thing I do know... This kid has got to be a future soccer player, kick boxer, or something that involves lots of foot movements. It's a nonstop party inside my belly. And I LOVE it!!! It's so fun! And reassuring... constantly feeling the movement of my baby. Last night, I pulled my shirt up and just watched my belly bounce around. So weird and funny!

I read somewhere that babies inside the womb sleep on average 12-14 hours a day. Either this baby is no average baby or it kicks while it's sleeping. Who knows? Either way... It's fabulous! By far, my favorite part of being pregnant!!!

 

Halfway There!

 OR

 

I am 20 weeks pregnant! And although I haven't gained any weight yet (I swear I'm not lying!) I look like I'm about to pop! Or at least I think I look that way. Somehow I'm still 3 pounds under my starting weight. I guess I can thank 16 weeks of being sick for that!? 

 

I can't believe I'm halfway there! I was telling my cousin the other day that the weeks are actually seeming to fly. It feels like it takes no time at all to check off another week that's gone by... but there's just so many weeks! That's ok though, I'm enjoying my time being pregnant.

 

Not knowing the gender of our baby hasn't really bothered me. Not totally anyway. I'll admit, it would be nice to call "it" by he or she. Like when the baby's rolling around, I could say, "Here she goes again... or... he sure is active today!" But I just keep picturing the moment when the baby is born and that anticipation of "What is it? What is it? A boy or a girl?!?!" That's what I'm holding out for. All my friends think I'm crazy and that's fine with me! Ha! Also, our baby will be rockin' some yellow and/or green footed pajamas because it seems that the world is convinced those are the only "gender neutral" colors.

 

I keep thinking about that little face and what he/she will look like! Is it Cameron Elliott in there? Or is it Charlotte Emily? Secretly, even if it's a boy, I sort of want to name him Charlotte just because I LOVE that name so much! I'd never really do that to my son... but I do love the name Charlotte. I guess it's just easier to picture myself with another girl because I've been down that road before. A boy is unchartered territory for me, which is a little scary.

 

I'm hoping cooler weather and all the holidays around the corner will help the time pass by even quicker. Just 20 weeks left... Can't wait to see our baby!

 



18 Week Check-Up

Here's little Baby Baker. 

18 weeks

Heartbeat: 153

+1 lb

We got to see our precious baby today. I always work myself up to think that we'll be able to see way more on the ultrasound screen than we actually can. We got a few good pictures today, but nothing that just stops me in my tracks. It's just so hard to see the details in those grainy black and white pictures. 

But I did love those few little seconds between pictures when we actually got to just watch the baby move. Seeing the head turn, mouth open, and arms wiggle (while I feel none of that) really blows my mind. I can't wait to see that little face and hold that sweet baby in my arms. 

 

And the baby's legs were crossed! So even if we I had wanted to know the gender today, it would've been very difficult. Poor Drew, he wants to know it's a boy so bad. He never looked away even when she told us to. She said she wasn't even able to take a guess at it! So evidently, it was meant for us to be surprised!

We do have names picked out! Our girl name is Charlotte Emily, and our boy name is Cameron Elliott. However, neither one of those are Livy-approved. Nothing lives up to Punzul or Youdream in her eyes! Oh my, at least we have about 5 more months to convince her otherwise! 

Our little alien baby. Not gonna lie... this picture kinda freaks me out a little bit!

Honestly, I'm not even sure what I'm looking at here... I know the head's on the right and body's on the left, but other than that, I have no clue.