Today was an interesting day. I woke up just fine but started to get a very bad headache a few hours into work. In addition to the headache, I became very emotional. One minute I was frustrated, then angry, then upset, then anxious, then fine...it was a very strange experience. I had this once previously and it was on the day of my appointment where I had high blood pressure so I decided (with the prodding of a coworker) to run to Safeway and check my blood pressure. Sure enough it was high. The first time I took it, it was around 150/88. I decided to sit down for 5-10 minutes and try and relax and then took it again. The second time it was 146/92. Again, I waited for 5-10 minutes and took it again. The last time it was 148/98 which is alarmingly high. After calling my mom and Diane, I decided to call my doctor's office and let them know what I was experiencing. They asked if I could come in around 2pm that afternoon and I, of course, agreed to do so.
Matt was driving for work and I really didn't want to make him leave early because he has been extremely busy so I was intending to take myself. I let Diane know that they wanted me to go in at 2 and sweet Diane offered to take me so I didn't have to go alone. So Diane came to pick me up and we headed off to my appointment.
As we arrived, we were waiting in the waiting room and I made Diane feel my stomach and asked, "Is this a contraction?" She said it was. I was experiencing a tightening of my stomach but didn't have any pain with it so I wasn't quite sure what it was. Apparently I had been contracting for some time and just didn't know. Anyway, we finally were called back to the office and they took my blood pressure again and it was still high and I was still experiencing a pretty brutal headache. After listening to the baby's heart and taking my fundal measurements, they had my doctor come in and talk to me. She said she would feel most comfortable if I would head over to labor and delivery and let them monitor me for a bit. She explained that I was showing symptoms of early preeclampsia and she was most concerned with my headache.
She went on to say that if all of my labs came back ok and they were able to get my headache to go away, they would let me go home but if they weren't able to make my headache go away they would be inducing me that night. She was still concerned about letting me go too long with these kinds of symptoms so she said if I got sent home tonight that she would want me back in on Sunday to deliver on Monday when she is on call. I had a slight breakdown and cried a little bit in the office. I knew this was a possibility and frankly I wanted the baby out but the looming reality of having a baby within 72 hours was a bit overwhelming and scary, especially since it was for "medical reasons".
Anyway...Diane and I headed over to labor and delivery and I was monitored for about 4 hours. My urine came back without protein, which is great. My labs came back with elevated liver enzymes but the uric acid was normal so they weren't too concerned with that. I was having consistent contractions every 2-5 minutes but again, they weren't concerned because they weren't causing me discomfort. Lastly, they gave me a pain med and asked if my headache had subsided. It definitely wasn't gone but it was sort of better so they finally released me. I felt horrible for Diane because it was awfully boring but she was amazing and supportive the whole time! Matt also wrapped up work, knowing he wouldn't be there next week, and joined us around 6pm. After all of that, the doctor came in and said she was comfortable releasing me but told me what to watch out for over the weekend and urged me to come right back if I experienced any of those symptoms over the weekend.
So...at the end of all of this, we finally know when baby is coming...we are scheduled to go back to the hospital at 8pm on Sunday evening where they will begin the induction process and then pitocin will most likely begin on Monday morning and hopefully little Stella will be joining this crazy world sometime on Monday. If everything goes as planned, she will be born on 5/2/2011.
I am home now with strict instructions to rest, rest and rest so that is my plan for the weekend! My parents are planning on driving over tomorrow morning so it will be good to have them here.
Say a little prayer for us this weekend and I will make sure to keep you all updated on how everything progresses.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
38 week appointment update
I know a lot of you have been wondering how my appointment went and I have to be honest...I'm a little disappointed.
First, my blood pressure was better this time which my doctor was very happy with. As far as my stats, I haven't progressed at all...I am still at 1cm dilated and 50% effaced and here is the kicker...Miss Stella has decided not to drop but climb back up so she is at a -3 now!!! Darn girl! As the doctor was leaving I mentioned a worry about her size again so she looked up her last ultrasound and proceeded to review it with me. She said Stella's belly was measuring in the 68% range but that her head was measuring in the 90% range. UMMMM YIKES! MY BABY HAS A GIGANTIC HEAD!!!
Now for those of you who know me, you know that I have a teeny tiny little head and the only hats I own are toddler and child hats so she definitely gets her head size from her big headed father!
The doctor reassured me that heads aren't an issue but they do worry about shoulder size and shoulder size is more similar to belly so she wasn't that worried about her being able to get out. We did start to plan a date to induce if she doesn't come on her own in the next few weeks. We planned it around when my doctor was on call and unfortunately for me, that isn't until 1 day before I'm due! She said that they would most likely admit me for the night of May 9th to prepare everything for labor and then actually induce the morning of the May 10th (a Tuesday - 14 days from today not that I'm counting). The good news is that we are more likely to have our doctor deliver. The bad news is that I have to wait 14 more days which seems like an eternity right now!
She gave me a list of things to try to get the baby to drop and for the uterus to contract so we'll see if those work but my goodness...I'm ready to be done! So for now, we just wait and see and if nothing happens, I will just plan to attend my appointment at the same time next week.
On another note, many of you have been asking how my dad is doing and he is doing great! He was lucky as far as strokes go (especially brain stem strokes) and was released from the hospital on Monday afternoon and able to make his Monday evening flight. He is still experiencing weakness on his right side and he has a journey of recovery in front of him but his doctors were all very optimistic about his chances for a great recovery. Thank you for all of your support and prayers! It really has meant the world to me!
First, my blood pressure was better this time which my doctor was very happy with. As far as my stats, I haven't progressed at all...I am still at 1cm dilated and 50% effaced and here is the kicker...Miss Stella has decided not to drop but climb back up so she is at a -3 now!!! Darn girl! As the doctor was leaving I mentioned a worry about her size again so she looked up her last ultrasound and proceeded to review it with me. She said Stella's belly was measuring in the 68% range but that her head was measuring in the 90% range. UMMMM YIKES! MY BABY HAS A GIGANTIC HEAD!!!
Now for those of you who know me, you know that I have a teeny tiny little head and the only hats I own are toddler and child hats so she definitely gets her head size from her big headed father!
The doctor reassured me that heads aren't an issue but they do worry about shoulder size and shoulder size is more similar to belly so she wasn't that worried about her being able to get out. We did start to plan a date to induce if she doesn't come on her own in the next few weeks. We planned it around when my doctor was on call and unfortunately for me, that isn't until 1 day before I'm due! She said that they would most likely admit me for the night of May 9th to prepare everything for labor and then actually induce the morning of the May 10th (a Tuesday - 14 days from today not that I'm counting). The good news is that we are more likely to have our doctor deliver. The bad news is that I have to wait 14 more days which seems like an eternity right now!
She gave me a list of things to try to get the baby to drop and for the uterus to contract so we'll see if those work but my goodness...I'm ready to be done! So for now, we just wait and see and if nothing happens, I will just plan to attend my appointment at the same time next week.
On another note, many of you have been asking how my dad is doing and he is doing great! He was lucky as far as strokes go (especially brain stem strokes) and was released from the hospital on Monday afternoon and able to make his Monday evening flight. He is still experiencing weakness on his right side and he has a journey of recovery in front of him but his doctors were all very optimistic about his chances for a great recovery. Thank you for all of your support and prayers! It really has meant the world to me!
Monday, April 25, 2011
Life is full of the unexpected!
This weekend was perhaps the most stressful of all of the weekends in my pregnancy. I've had a very smooth path so far with only a hiccup or two but this weekend certainly presented its challenges.
First, due to unforeseen circumstances, our expected nanny has to move back to the western side of the state by the end of this month. This was something that was obviously unplanned and we are both upset that the job didn't work out but life throws us curve balls and we just have to be as flexible as possible and trust that God has a bigger plan for everyone involved. So...knowing that our plans for childcare are now changing course, Matt and I have contacted 2 of the other candidates that were in our top 3. 1 gal is in Idaho and it would be about a 30 mile drive for her and with gas prices the way they are, we don't think that the drive would be worth the compensation but we are hopeful that our other candidate will work out. She is only about 5-10 minutes north of us and is a pastor's daughter with a great family foundation and great morals. We will be meeting with her on Tuesday to discuss the possibility of employment with us.
Next, as many of you know, my parents were down in the San Francisco area for my niece and nephew's baptism. I received a call from my mom on Saturday letting me know that my Dad was in the hospital and they suspected he had suffered a minor stroke. He was great about letting my brother know the symptoms he was experiencing and Jonathan and Mom were smart enough to get him to the hospital right away. After some testing in the ER, Dad was admitted to the hospital for additional testing and observation. Mom said she was very impressed with how great all of the doctors and staff were at the hospital.
After additional testing on Easter, it was confirmed that he had a minor stroke but they were confident that he would make a strong recovery. They made the decision to have him stay 1 more night and they are hoping he will be released today. Dad still has some weakness on the right side of his body but they are very optimistic about his recovery. I'm sure he will start physical therapy once he is home to regain some of the coordination, etc that may have been compromised by the stroke. Mom and Dad are supposed to fly home tonight but it is all dependent on the what the doctor says and when he is released.
Although the event kind of rattled me (knowing that if anything were to happen, I couldn't just hop on a plane and be with my family), I am so thankful that he was surrounded by loving family when the stroke occurred and had a great healing environment.
So if you are the praying type, please pray for those 2 events. Pray that we find the right person to take care of Stella within our somewhat limited time frame and for quick and miraculous healing for my Dad.
I hope you all had wonderful Easter weekends and hopefully they were slightly less eventful than mine.
We have another OB appointment tomorrow afternoon so I will be sure to update you all with how that goes!
First, due to unforeseen circumstances, our expected nanny has to move back to the western side of the state by the end of this month. This was something that was obviously unplanned and we are both upset that the job didn't work out but life throws us curve balls and we just have to be as flexible as possible and trust that God has a bigger plan for everyone involved. So...knowing that our plans for childcare are now changing course, Matt and I have contacted 2 of the other candidates that were in our top 3. 1 gal is in Idaho and it would be about a 30 mile drive for her and with gas prices the way they are, we don't think that the drive would be worth the compensation but we are hopeful that our other candidate will work out. She is only about 5-10 minutes north of us and is a pastor's daughter with a great family foundation and great morals. We will be meeting with her on Tuesday to discuss the possibility of employment with us.
Next, as many of you know, my parents were down in the San Francisco area for my niece and nephew's baptism. I received a call from my mom on Saturday letting me know that my Dad was in the hospital and they suspected he had suffered a minor stroke. He was great about letting my brother know the symptoms he was experiencing and Jonathan and Mom were smart enough to get him to the hospital right away. After some testing in the ER, Dad was admitted to the hospital for additional testing and observation. Mom said she was very impressed with how great all of the doctors and staff were at the hospital.
After additional testing on Easter, it was confirmed that he had a minor stroke but they were confident that he would make a strong recovery. They made the decision to have him stay 1 more night and they are hoping he will be released today. Dad still has some weakness on the right side of his body but they are very optimistic about his recovery. I'm sure he will start physical therapy once he is home to regain some of the coordination, etc that may have been compromised by the stroke. Mom and Dad are supposed to fly home tonight but it is all dependent on the what the doctor says and when he is released.
Although the event kind of rattled me (knowing that if anything were to happen, I couldn't just hop on a plane and be with my family), I am so thankful that he was surrounded by loving family when the stroke occurred and had a great healing environment.
So if you are the praying type, please pray for those 2 events. Pray that we find the right person to take care of Stella within our somewhat limited time frame and for quick and miraculous healing for my Dad.
I hope you all had wonderful Easter weekends and hopefully they were slightly less eventful than mine.
We have another OB appointment tomorrow afternoon so I will be sure to update you all with how that goes!
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Seriously...isn't it spring??
Here we are on April 21st and I am still waiting for the spring weather to arrive. This is a picture I took of my neighbors house directly across from us and yes, that white stuff is SNOW!!!!! What is going on?!?!
Here I was talking about how lucky I was to have a baby in May because I didn't have to worry about driving in the snow or freezing weather. HA! Joke is on me! I guess the silly groundhog was wrong because this does not look like an early spring to me! YUCK! I'm so ready for consistent sunshine! Who is with me?!?
Now on to pregnancy progression news...not a whole lot to report. I never received a call from the doctor so I am assuming all is well but I'm trying to take it as easy as I can and lower the blood pressure if possible. Matt and I went on a walk last night which is beginning to prove to be a difficult task. By the end of the walk, I'm huffing and puffing like I'm 100lbs over weight...pretty annoying but I'm going to keep pushing myself to walk so that Miss Stella will drop a bit.
Last night was NOT a restful night. As exhausted as I felt, I just couldn't fall asleep! I finally drifted off around 11 and was up by 11:45 to use the restroom and then again around 12:45. I did get a good 2 hour stretch of sleep because I didn't wake up again until 3am. When I woke up that time, I was experiencing abdominal cramping and thinking oh heck...please don't be contractions. They lasted about an hour and then faded off so I finally fell back asleep around 4am only to be woken up by my alarm at 5:35 to get ready for work. My eyes have that stinging pain from pure exhaustion. I'm thinking about napping at lunch time and then after work...I'm pretty much in zombie mode at this point. BUT as of tomorrow the daily countdown goes to the teen numbers so not too much longer before little Stella makes her appearance. I can do this!!!
Here I was talking about how lucky I was to have a baby in May because I didn't have to worry about driving in the snow or freezing weather. HA! Joke is on me! I guess the silly groundhog was wrong because this does not look like an early spring to me! YUCK! I'm so ready for consistent sunshine! Who is with me?!?
Now on to pregnancy progression news...not a whole lot to report. I never received a call from the doctor so I am assuming all is well but I'm trying to take it as easy as I can and lower the blood pressure if possible. Matt and I went on a walk last night which is beginning to prove to be a difficult task. By the end of the walk, I'm huffing and puffing like I'm 100lbs over weight...pretty annoying but I'm going to keep pushing myself to walk so that Miss Stella will drop a bit.
Last night was NOT a restful night. As exhausted as I felt, I just couldn't fall asleep! I finally drifted off around 11 and was up by 11:45 to use the restroom and then again around 12:45. I did get a good 2 hour stretch of sleep because I didn't wake up again until 3am. When I woke up that time, I was experiencing abdominal cramping and thinking oh heck...please don't be contractions. They lasted about an hour and then faded off so I finally fell back asleep around 4am only to be woken up by my alarm at 5:35 to get ready for work. My eyes have that stinging pain from pure exhaustion. I'm thinking about napping at lunch time and then after work...I'm pretty much in zombie mode at this point. BUT as of tomorrow the daily countdown goes to the teen numbers so not too much longer before little Stella makes her appearance. I can do this!!!
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
No news is good news!
Well...here we are at 8:50pm and I haven't gotten a call from the doctor. According to her, they would only call if there was something wrong so I am taking the absence of news as good news! It looks like Stella will be cooking for another day!
I'm very thankful for your prayers! This close call made this all seem much more real and made me realize that she really could come at any moment!
I'm hoping she will stay cookin till at least after Easter. I will keep you all posted if I get any more news or info on how things are progressing.
Mmmmmmmmmwah! Have a restful night!
I'm very thankful for your prayers! This close call made this all seem much more real and made me realize that she really could come at any moment!
I'm hoping she will stay cookin till at least after Easter. I will keep you all posted if I get any more news or info on how things are progressing.
Mmmmmmmmmwah! Have a restful night!
Will tonight be the night??
I just returned home from my 37 week OB appointment and unfortunately, I have high blood pressure. It has been borderline high for some time now but was cause for a preeclampsia scare today. They did test my urine for protein and it was negative which is great but they sent me for blood work just to be safe. The paperwork literally said "STAT" on it so they told me that they should get the results by this evening. If there is something alarming in the blood work, she said they would call me tonight and I would most likely be going in to the hospital tonight to be induced.
I keep saying that I'm so done being pregnant but now that I really might be done, I'm a little bit nervous about it and would like to keep her cooking for 1-2 more weeks at least.
The doctor said that I should know if anything is wrong by 7-8pm tonight and that if everything is ok, I won't receive a call at all. I wish I would get a call either way but I guess if I don't hear anything by the time I go to bed, I will consider it all ok.
I will update the blog with info as soon as I have any! Keep us in your prayers!
I keep saying that I'm so done being pregnant but now that I really might be done, I'm a little bit nervous about it and would like to keep her cooking for 1-2 more weeks at least.
The doctor said that I should know if anything is wrong by 7-8pm tonight and that if everything is ok, I won't receive a call at all. I wish I would get a call either way but I guess if I don't hear anything by the time I go to bed, I will consider it all ok.
I will update the blog with info as soon as I have any! Keep us in your prayers!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Pain, Pain...Go Away!!!
I guess I can tell that I'm nearing the end of my pregnancy because I am becoming overwhelmed with different aches and pains, some more severe than others. As of Sunday, my upper right back has been the worst and most unbearable of all of the pains. I have been experiencing a sharp, stabbing pain in my upper right back near my shoulder blade that is exacerbated by movement and deep breathing. Most of you know that I am fairly accustomed to handling pain since I've dealt with so many injuries through gymnastics but I have been lucky enough to not have any serious back issues. This back pain is almost crippling at times!
I called my chiropractor to see if there was any way for her to squeeze me in today and thankfully she made a spot for me in her jam packed schedule. I'll be going to pay her a visit around 1:45pm. Hopefully she can help alleviate some of the pressure or whatever is causing this horrible pain.
After that appointment, I get to head over to my OB's office and get my 36 week check up. As previously stated, this will be a cervical check and they will let me know how dilated and effaced I am, if at all. I will definitely keep you all posted on the results without getting too detailed :) We will also be talking about labor options at this appointment and if induction is necessary or an option.
After that, I will be meeting Kendra (Stella's future nanny) and Matt at a pediatric CPR class. No rest for the weary...Let's hope that Dr. Nielson (chiropractor) can help fix me up or I may be completely useless and in tears the rest of the day!
Here's hoping for healing! Wishing you all a pain free day!!!
I called my chiropractor to see if there was any way for her to squeeze me in today and thankfully she made a spot for me in her jam packed schedule. I'll be going to pay her a visit around 1:45pm. Hopefully she can help alleviate some of the pressure or whatever is causing this horrible pain.
After that appointment, I get to head over to my OB's office and get my 36 week check up. As previously stated, this will be a cervical check and they will let me know how dilated and effaced I am, if at all. I will definitely keep you all posted on the results without getting too detailed :) We will also be talking about labor options at this appointment and if induction is necessary or an option.
After that, I will be meeting Kendra (Stella's future nanny) and Matt at a pediatric CPR class. No rest for the weary...Let's hope that Dr. Nielson (chiropractor) can help fix me up or I may be completely useless and in tears the rest of the day!
Here's hoping for healing! Wishing you all a pain free day!!!
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Preparing for a Stella-bration!!
Ok Ok...it is a bit cheesy but come on...it's cute!!
My friends are sweet enough to be planning a Stella-bration this Saturday to keep me occupied and busy while Matt is away. Let me back up and tell you how the Stellabration planning began.
About 4 weeks ago, Matt let me know that he wanted to play softball with his buddies in Seattle this weekend. Knowing that I would be between 35-36 weeks, I was a bit nervous about him leaving so close to our due date but my OB assured us that it shouldn't be an issue, so he is going. I was/am still a bit stressed about it so I called Diane to make sure she would be in town this weekend so that if I did go into labor, I would at least have someone here to help. She assured me she would be here which definitely eased my mind. Beyond easing my mind, she also got together with Megan and Theresa and began planning the Stellabration! So this Saturday, I am waking up and getting a massage (yay!) and then meeting up with the ladies to get pedicures and go out to dinner...YUM!
I am so excited to have great friends to keep me company when Matt is away. If I didn't have plans, I would have been anxious from the moment he left to the moment he returned (not rational but true). Now, I'm excited to have 1 last girls night out before Stella arrives.
I will update you later to let you know how the Stellabration goes down!
My friends are sweet enough to be planning a Stella-bration this Saturday to keep me occupied and busy while Matt is away. Let me back up and tell you how the Stellabration planning began.
About 4 weeks ago, Matt let me know that he wanted to play softball with his buddies in Seattle this weekend. Knowing that I would be between 35-36 weeks, I was a bit nervous about him leaving so close to our due date but my OB assured us that it shouldn't be an issue, so he is going. I was/am still a bit stressed about it so I called Diane to make sure she would be in town this weekend so that if I did go into labor, I would at least have someone here to help. She assured me she would be here which definitely eased my mind. Beyond easing my mind, she also got together with Megan and Theresa and began planning the Stellabration! So this Saturday, I am waking up and getting a massage (yay!) and then meeting up with the ladies to get pedicures and go out to dinner...YUM!
I am so excited to have great friends to keep me company when Matt is away. If I didn't have plans, I would have been anxious from the moment he left to the moment he returned (not rational but true). Now, I'm excited to have 1 last girls night out before Stella arrives.
I will update you later to let you know how the Stellabration goes down!
Friday, April 1, 2011
Let the L & D Dreams Begin...
As many of you know, my best friend is a labor and delivery (L & D) nurse at the hospital that I will be delivering at so she has been an amazing resource for me whenever I have a crazy question or need support. Well, last night, I texted her asking if she was at work and she quickly called me back from her work phone in a panic asking if everything was ok. I just had a question for her and didn't even think that my text could have warranted worry...whoops! I called her right back and assured her that I was fine and wasn't in labor. I guess now that I am 34+ weeks, I have to be aware that I could go into labor at any time! I felt so bad to have scared her like that but I am so thankful to have a friend that cares that much!
After recognizing that I am somewhat close to delivery day, I went to bed and, of course, had a labor and delivery dream and who was my nurse?? DIANE!!! It was such a strange dream! I went into the hospital and Matt was with me of course. Then my friend Julie showed up with her 2 kids and her husband and then finally my parents showed up. I hadn't called any of them so I was wondering how they knew I was there. Diane told me that she had called them the night before because she just knew I was going to go into labor. Overall, the whole thing was really easy, however Diane kept telling me that I had to dilate to 23cm to push and I kept saying, "WHAT?!? I've always heard 10cm...when did that change?" She proceeded to tell me that my baby's head was extremely large (which she obviously would have gotten from Matt - hee hee) and with large headed babies, they just let labor continue to 23cm to be sure to avoid C-sections. The room was a bit chaotic with everyone in it so Diane kicked everyone out and then I reached the 23cm mark and was able to push. Again, surprisingly easy...however at that point, I woke up so I never actually got to see the baby! Bummer!
Anyway - this is no April fools joke...this dream really occurred. I hope you all have a wonderful first day of April and don't get pranked too badly!
After recognizing that I am somewhat close to delivery day, I went to bed and, of course, had a labor and delivery dream and who was my nurse?? DIANE!!! It was such a strange dream! I went into the hospital and Matt was with me of course. Then my friend Julie showed up with her 2 kids and her husband and then finally my parents showed up. I hadn't called any of them so I was wondering how they knew I was there. Diane told me that she had called them the night before because she just knew I was going to go into labor. Overall, the whole thing was really easy, however Diane kept telling me that I had to dilate to 23cm to push and I kept saying, "WHAT?!? I've always heard 10cm...when did that change?" She proceeded to tell me that my baby's head was extremely large (which she obviously would have gotten from Matt - hee hee) and with large headed babies, they just let labor continue to 23cm to be sure to avoid C-sections. The room was a bit chaotic with everyone in it so Diane kicked everyone out and then I reached the 23cm mark and was able to push. Again, surprisingly easy...however at that point, I woke up so I never actually got to see the baby! Bummer!
Anyway - this is no April fools joke...this dream really occurred. I hope you all have a wonderful first day of April and don't get pranked too badly!
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