Adam's Birth Story

I suppose since it's almost been 3 weeks, I should write down Adam's birth story before I forget a few details!  I'm warning you, it's kind of long and wordy, but I wanted to get in every detail that I could remember.

We were scheduled for an induction on December 23rd.  We were to arrive at the hospital on Wednesday, December 22nd at 6:00 pm.  When we arrived, we were shown to our home away from home for what would be the next 4 days! 

We went through all of the necessary paperwork (which by the way, I have no idea how people do this when they are already in labor! Holy crap!) and then came the IV.  I can honestly say, I think this was the worst part for me.  They were going to insert a heplock? so that when they needed the IV they wouldn't need to put one in.  This nurse felt for my veins in my hand and decided it would be a good idea to put it on the side of my hand.... Anyone who knows me, knows I HATE needles and that I've passed out a number of times because of them.  She started to put the needle in and it hurt like you wouldn't believe.  Hubby was squeezing my hand and that's when it happened.  Everything started to get blurry, I couldn't hear anything, I started to sweat like crazy and I knew I was passing out.  Turns out, she got the needle in, just in time for my vein to blow.  Awesome.  Hubby got really nervous, because he was talking to me and I was not responding at all.  So, after they fanned me for what felt like an hour and I was able to communicate with them, they called in someone who was apparently really good at doing IV's.  She came in and I did not pass out the second time, which was a +.

The doctor came in next; she first checked me and I was still at a 1 and 50% effaced, she then inserted the cervidil and off she went.  I had to lay in bed for an hour before I was able to get up and walk around.  Jesse and I hung out in the hospital room and watched Elf while we waited for the hour to be up.  After that, we took a walk around our floor.  I was only allowed to have clear liquids and Popsicles so we picked up a few things for me to "eat" and then headed back to our room.  I needed to be monitored every hour for 15 minutes for Adam's heart rate and my contractions.  After about 2 hours, I could start to feel the contractions become much closer together and a lot more painful.  The nurse came in and checked my chart and it seemed as though I was having contractions every other minute lasting for 45 seconds.  They got more painful as they went and I was sure that this process was going to go much quicker than anyone had anticipated.  She checked me again at 9:00 pm and I was at about a 1.5, but she said that the process would probably go quicker now that the contractions were so close together.  At that time, she removed the cervidil and said we would monitor things throughout the night.

At 11:00, I was sure my water broke, but it didn't....  Hubby and I were watching Christmas Vacation to try and take my mind off things, but that was not working. I held on until 1:30am when we decided it was epidural time!  Holy ouch!  I know, what was I expecting, right?  But, it did not hurt as bad as the first failed IV attempt.  After that, I was starting to feel pretty good.  We decided it was time to try and get some shut eye.  Just as we were starting to fall asleep, my water broke at 2:30am.  Nurses came in and checked me, I was at a 3.  At least we were making progress.  After this, we were finally able to sleep for a little while.

They proceeded to check me every few hours, contractions were not slowing down at all and continued to be quite painful by the looks of the screen, but I was feeling just fine.

I moved up to a 4, then a 5.  By the time my parents arrived at 11 on Thursday, December 23rd, I had gotten to a 6.  The nurses were sure that by 5:00, my baby would be here.  Well, by 1:00, I was at a 7, then moved to an 8 pretty quickly.  By 2:00, I was at an 8 and 100% effaced.  I was at a 8 for almost 5 hours by the time they realized I was not progressing on my own.  Before this, they had inserted something inside of me to connect to Adam to get a better heart rate and they inserted something to more closely measure the rate and severity of my contractions.  They had upped my pitocin as much as possible and did not want to go any higher.  Adam's heart rate was now consistently in the 170's-180's which was too high and I was starting to run a fever and risk infection.  The doctor came in and explained our options.  She said we could wait it out another hour or two, but she didn't see me progressing any quicker.  She suggested the best option for baby and me was to have a c-section.  At that point, after 22 hours of labor, I was exhausted and just ready to meet my little guy.   Once I agreed to a c-section, they pumped me so full of "stuff" that it was ridiculous.  They gave Jesse his necessary scrubs to wear, got me prepped and headed off to the operating room.

After about 30 minutes in the operating room, we were finally able to meet our baby boy, Adam James Crane, at 7:01pm on Thursday, December 23rd, 2010.  It was the best feeling the world and I would go through all of it again for him.

We were in the hospital until December 26th, when we were discharged at 3:00pm.  Christmas was spent in the hospital, but my parents and Brother & SIL all visited on that day.  Best Christmas present I've ever gotten!

The c-section wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be and I think I'm healing very quickly.  It really hurt to get in and out of bed for the first few days, but every day it got easier. 

All in all, we are adjusting to being a family of 3 pretty well.  We're tired most of the time, but we love our little guy and wouldn't trade him in for all of the sleep in the world. 

Packing help!

Well, it isn't news to you guys that we're in the process of moving and waiting for our little miracle to arrive... So, with moving day scheduled just 3 days after our induction (on Dec. 23rd).... I'm baffeled (I've always wanted to use that word) as to what to pack. 

The moving company cannot guarntee our belongings to be delivered right away, it may be up to 2 weeks before we see our things again.  With that in mind, I have no idea what to pack as far as clothes....  After having your babies (if you've had them), what did you wear?  What sizes?? I know I will still look about 6 months pregnant, but it's hard to remember what things I wore then. Any suggestions of things not to forget either?  For baby or hubby and I?

I'm trying to get all of my ducks in a row, but it's difficult with things being so "up in the air".  Thanks for all of your help in advance!

I'm still here...

Just a little update to assure you that I am still here and still pregnant....  The good thing is, when we do have the baby, the hospital has wi-fi (which I'm sure most do now), so I can update you just as soon as I feel up to it... I'm not expecting it to happen before Dec. 23rd, so you may be reading about it on Christmas! :-)

Hope you are all staying warm.  Here in Iowa, we're getting plenty of snow and I am not to excited about it right now....

Nada, nothing, zilch!

That's what my cervix did in the last week anyway... 

I didn't move at all, she said.... Well you're not much further than you were last week.  BUMMER!  So with 1 day left on that little calendar on the side bar of my blog, I'm starting to feel anxious and crappy about the whole thing! 

I know he'll come when he's ready, unless of course that isn't before the 23rd, because that's they day they have set to induce me.  I was hoping to be induced earlier, but I suppose it's best to give my body time to try to do it on its own. 

So, we'll see what this next week brings, hopefully LOTS and LOTS of dilation and contractions! Who knows, everyone keeps telling me that now since we've set "the date" that my water will probably break the day/night before we have to go in.  I would so much rather prefer that to happen, so I hope it does.

On a happier note, we did get tons of pictures from the ultrasound and everything looks great.  I'll try to get some of them scanned and post them tomorrow with my 40 week photo!  O and he's got a ton of hair! 

Until next time... I'll be doing whatever I can to make this baby want to come into the world!  If you can't find me, I'll probably be at the gym 24 hours a day for the next week trying to walk him out of me! :-)

Have a wonderful COLD Wednesday!!

Last weekend as a family of two?

Well, we just spent, what could be, our last weekend as just a husband and wife.  The due date is Thursday and we have our 40 week appointment tomorrow to get a sweet little glimpse of our wonderful little boy on ultrasound for the last time! 

So what did we do with our last weekend as just a married couple?  Well, we ate out, we got movies, we snuggled on the couch for hours watching said movies, we went to Target, we made dinner, we made breakfast, we slept in and we just enjoyed each others company.  It was perfect.

I realize we will still be able to do some of those things with a baby, but it won't be about us or what we want to do anymore, we'll have a little man to share it with! 

Now, we really could have one more weekend with just the two of us, but I'm praying our little mister decides to come sometime this week!  It would really be a great surprise.  Otherwise, we'll find out tomorrow at our appointment when our scheduled induction will be... I'm guessing for Monday, Dec. 20th.  Say a little prayer, if you can, that he'll decide to come on his own.... Oh, maybe tonight or tomorrow?!? :-)

Hope you had a wonderful weekend and I cannot wait to share his precious face with all of you!

39 Week Appointment

Well, I had my 39 week appointment.  Didn't go as planned.... (for me anyway! ha)  Baby is starting to move down, I'm 1cm dialated and about 50% effaced.  I was hoping to be further along, but no such luck.

I actually lost a pound at this last appointment, bringing me to +32 lbs.  Crazy! 

Doctor said we'll do an ultrasound at my next appointment to check on baby's size and fluid levels and all that jazz and then we'll schedule an induction for the next week (and pray that he comes on his own before then).  She said that she's worried about letting me go to long because he may be too big to fit through my little frame. 

She estimates him to be about 7.5lbs already and if she let me go another 2 weeks he could be as big as 8.5-9lbs..... I know people deliver babies that big, as my own mother did (I was 9.2) but I am actually a bit smaller than she was when she delivered me. 

The doctor threw around the term c-section as a possibility if the baby was too big, she said she wouldn't want me to go through 20 hours of labor, three hours of pushing and then still end up with a c-section anyway. 

I figured, I'm not the doctor and whatever is best for baby and me is what she will suggest doing. 

So, we should find out more on Tuesday, but if you have time, say a little prayer that he comes on his own before then :-)

All I want for Christmas is.........

A healthy baby boy born anytime between NOW and Dec. 22nd 2010!

That's all.... It's a short list, but it's all I want and need :-)

What do you want for Christmas???

Pictures week 37 and 38

37 Weeks

38 Weeks

Lots and Lots of updates

Thank you all for the sweet comments about my Grandpa's passing.  It was very sad, but I know he's in heaven probably fishing or dancing with my Grandma.

Last week was tough with the wake and funeral and then Thanksgiving.  My family decided not to travel to our home for Thanksgiving this year, just given the circumstances, so it was just Jesse's parents and us.  We had a delicious dinner and enjoyed the company.  They made a nice short trip and it was wonderful to have Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday just the two of us. 

I had my 37 week appointment last week and my 38 appointment this week.  I will get pictures up today or tomorrow, I swear!  Appointments went well, passed my Strep B test which is good.  Everything is looking fine so far, I'm up 33lbs total and the doctor said that my cervix is softening, so whatever that means I suppose it's good!  I'm not dialated at all, but I'm trying not to get down about it, because I suppose that can change in a few hours. 

Plan is to see how things go next week at my appointment and if I haven't had him yet, we'll do an ultrasound on Dec. 15th and then plan for an induction the week after. So, sounds like anywhere between the 20th-23rd if he doesn't come on his own before then.  I'm hoping he decides to make an appearance on his own, but we shall see. 

Moving date is still set for Dec. 27th, so we have a lot going on in the next few weeks.  Say a prayer for our house to sell very soon and for a healthy baby to be born very soon :-)

More updates to follow as I have time! 

Better late than never... Weeks 34 & 35

Well, I'm a bit late on these, given, week 36 is this Thursday! I swear I'll get that one up in a more timely manner!  Life has just gotten in the way.

So, Week's 34 & 35.... 

Week 34 was my last appointment.  Everything went well. Heart-rate was at 144 and he was moving like crazy to get away from the Doppler.  I was measuring about a week behind (so at 33 weeks).  Which is a bummer, but it's what I suspected all along with the due dates and everything.

I gained an extra 5 lbs! holy cow! haha I think I'm up to 23 lbs.. I've decided to go by my scale since thats where I weighed myself prepregnancy, otherwise it makes me feel awful because I gain a lot more according to the doctors scale! haha

No problems at the appointment, my blood pressure is still super low which is good.

I just can't wait to meet this little guy! 

34 weeks

35 weeks

33 weeks and pregnancy brain

How far along? 33 weeks

 

Total weight gain: Not sure, up 22 but haven't checked again... We'll see next week at my next appt.

Maternity clothes?:  For sure.

Sleep:  Sleeping great, actually I slept from 8:30 pm to 6:15 am last night.  It was amazing... I mean, I still got up 2-3 times to pee, but I slept great!

Cravings:  Still pop for some odd reason.

Best moment this week: All of the moving he's doing. I have no clue what he's doing in there but holy cow!  I wish I could see him and see what he was doing.

Movement: LOTS!

Gender: Blue!!!!

Labor Signs: Nope.  Does everyone feel Braxton Hicks Contractions?

Belly Button in or out? Still in, and hoping it stays that way!

What I miss: eh same ol same ol..... mostly my other clothes.

 

Weekly Wisdom:  None this week... sorry


Ok, so I'll have to post a 33 week picture later....... On to that pregnancy brain stuff. Does everyone forget things while they are pregnant?  I swear, I've definitely been losing brain cells!  I forget everything! We had some work done on our car by a family friend and I typically send a check in the mail that next day.... Well today it's been 4 weeks and I just sent it out because I completely forgot!  I forget to do things at my internship unless I write them down.  Its a miracle I remember to go to my internship! 


Did I tell you we're moving?  I mean like moving about 2 weeks after baby boy will hopefully make his appearance?  I know my last day of being pregnant will definitely be Dec. 23rd, but I'm hoping he comes on or before his due date of Dec. 16th.... Wishful thinking, huh??


It'll be a crazy December, that's for darn sure! 


Have a great weekend everyone!!

32 Weeks

We're into the 8th month ladies!!  I cannot believe it! Only 8 weeks until the Little mister arrives!  I CAN.NOT.WAIT!

How far along? 32 weeks

 

Total weight gain: Up another 2 at my doctors appt. So we're at 22.....

Maternity clothes?:  Ha, definitely!

Sleep:  I'm still sleeping pretty good, no issues there

Cravings:  Pop.  Like Coke, it sounds delicious! It's the weirdest thing! 

Best moment this week: Hearing his heartbeat again.  I LOVE IT!  I also love seeing his little feet and other body parts stick out.

Movement: LOTS!

Gender: Blue!!!!

Labor Signs: Nope.  Does everyone feel Braxton Hicks Contractions?

Belly Button in or out? Still in, and hoping it stays that way!

What I miss: Margarita's and my pre-pregnancy jeans...

Weekly Wisdom:  Enjoy every moment!  Somedays it hurts getting kicked in the ribs, but then as soon as I don't feel him moving around, I get nervous.  So I'd much rather be uncomfortable and feel him moving around than more comfortable and not feel him at all!

Favorite Moments: We've had both of our showers and the room is coming together.  We're going to be moving about  a month after his birth, so we aren't really decorating at all... It just wouldn't be worth it.

30 weeks 5 days

Ok, so I'm behind again..... Sorry!! I had my 30 week appt last week and here are the stats from that:

Weight: 20 lbs...... Yuck, I am so not excited about this, but again I suppose it is not THAT bad.
Glucose test: Passed will flying colors!
Baby Boy: Strong heartbeat at 155. He kept kicking the doppler and you could hear it! His heartrate would then go up because he was getting all that exercise, it was so funny.

Lately: Movement has been crazy! I can tell he's got less room in there, because he's moving all the time! Sometimes, it gets uncomfortable, but I'm ok with that because at least I know he's ok in there.

We had two baby showers and they were both amazing! We got so many useful things, we are definitely blessed. The baby room is so unorganized, but I should be able to take a crack at it this weekend and hopefully get some things put away. We'll see!

Hubby had the flu on Sunday, so I'm praying I don't get it. O, also, hubby has an interview on Monday in the city we're hoping to move to, so say a prayer or do whatever you do and send it our way :-) If you wouldn't mind!

Here's my "30 week" picture, but really it's 30 weeks and 5 days.

29 weeks and some intern stuff!

Holy crap!  29 weeks already (tomorrow)!?!? 

The Little Mister is on the move this week!  He's been doing some crazy things in there, not just his ordinary kicks.  I'm talking full out karate chops and gymnast style flips!  It's great, but at times it catches me off guard and scares me a bit because it feels so weird.

I've been getting a bit more tired these days... I'm still sleeping ok, but by the time 1:00 hits, I'm pretty darn tired. 

Other than being tired, I'm feeling pretty good.  I went for a long walk the other night and on the way back, I had some terrible pains on my lower right side and it was not fun.  Hubby and I actually had to stop walking so I could rest, because that is the only time that it would go away.  I felt it again today for a brief moment, but haven't felt it since.  I'm hoping this doesn't happen everytime I walk, because I would sure like to continue to exercise, at least a little bit. 

I've been trying to upload photos for about 25 minutes now and blogger is not letting me do it..... Anyone else having problems with this??  If I can figure it out, I'll post them later!


Anyway, on to internship stuff.  I have 24 days left of my practicum!!  I cannot wait.  I'm thinking my last day will be sometime during the second week in November.  After Oct. I do start going only 3 days a week, so that'll be a nice needed break.

It's been very busy at my internship, so I think that's why I've been more tired as of late.  I have 7 large group guidance lessons per week, two small groups per week and about 3-4 individual sessions a week.  Planning for all of those is making my head spin and it's hard to keep track of!  Those will last until the end of my internship, so I'm thinking these next 4 weeks will fly by.

28 weeks- A little behind

Well, 28 weeks has come and gone!  I was actually 28 weeks on Thursday, Sept, 23rd.  We did not get a picture as we have been too busy!

So, you'll have to settle for the updates from our appointment.

Hello 3rd trimester!!  That has to be the biggest highlight of this week!  I'm so excited to be 2/3's finished with pregnancy and that much closer to actually meeting our little guy!

Heartbeat was at 163 which she said was perfect, so I'm hoping she's right and it's not too high!

I am up to 17 lbs gained already... I'm trying to think positive about this, but it's hard... Though I'm sure those kit kats and pumpkin muffins don't help! :-)

I had my glucose test as well.  Drinking that orange stuff wasn't as bad as I've heard, but I can't say I'd want to drink it all the time.

It's been 3 days since the test and I haven't heard anything back yet, so that's a good sign.  This doctor is a no news is good news doctor, so if there isn't anything wrong, she won't call, she'll just wait until our next appointment to share the info with us.

I had my flu shot as well.  Did you guys get this?  I was leery at first, but she highly recommended it, so I got it.  I figured better safe than sorry with that H1N1 stuff.  I've never had one before and the shot itself didn't hurt, but whow baby my arm was sore for two days. 

Other than that, things went fine, she said I was measuring right on at 28 weeks, but she couldn't quite tell which way baby was facing yet.

We're now going every 2 weeks to the doc!  I'm excited to hear the little mister's heartbeat more frequently, I just love it!

That's all for now!  Hope you had an awesome Tuesday and remember that we're going private here at Livin the Great Life, so if you want to continue to read my blog, send me an e-mail at kaylajcrane at gmail dot com and I'll add you to my list.

27 Weeks!

Yes, it has been a week since I've posted and I am so very sorry.  This internship is really kicking my butt and I'm doing my best to keep up with everything else as well.

So, 27 weeks!  I'm pretty excited about this.  It means that next week we start the 3rd trimester!!  I also have my glucose test which I'm hoping goes well. 

I'm up a total of 14-15 lbs and I'm pretty sure my belly button is going to pop out at any second.  Baby boy has been pretty active, but today was an exceptionally quite day for him.  It makes me very nervous, but when I laid down tonight to type this out, I could tell there was some movement in there, so that was reassuring. 

Sleep is still an issue, but I'm getting through it. 

Nothing else new to report this week.  Sorry I'm short on interesting things!  

Here are the pictures I'm sure you're really wanting for!

26 weeks

I definitely think my belly has popped this week.  It's getting bigger and bigger, though... I suppose that's the idea, huh?

He's becoming more active which is amazing! I just love it.  We were able to start on his room, finally.  This past weekend we got the crib and changing table all set up!  Now, I can't wait for my showers so that we can start to fill his room with everything else. 

Sorry for my venting session yesterday, I realize that gaining weight is a part of pregnancy, it just sorta stinks.  However; I am so very thankful for this oppourtunity that I have been blessed with and I am not saying being pregnant isn't the most wonderful thing in the world, because it is.  So please do not let my venting let you think anything differently.  I am so loving this and I know I'll miss feeling his kicks!

This week I've gained about 12-13 lbs and am feeling like I have a lot more energy.  It's nice not to be tired all the time. 

Sleeping is still an issue, I get enough sleep but my back is killing me when I wake up. 

I can't believe we have less than 100 days to go (hopefully!) to meet our Little Mister!  It is incredible! :-)

Labor Day Weekend

We had a wonderfully productive weekend!  This weekend we were able to:

Saturday:
Grab some Panera breakfast, hubby's favorite!  (Have you had their breakfast sandwiches??)
Add to our registry for Baby
Buy some diapers and wipes with a gift card given to us by Target for making a new registry! (Thanks Target!)
Get our tire fixed, that had another screw in it... 2nd within 3 months! Yikes!
Clean out the office (that is going to be baby's room)
Relax
Go for a much needed walk together
Etc...

Sunday:
My parents visited
They graciously got our crib and changing table for us!! (Thanks Mom & Dad!!!  It helped tremendously)
Looked at a chair for the baby's room, but decided it was too expensive
Had breakfast with my parents
Put together baby's crib!

Monday:
Put together baby's changing table
Make and ate a delicious breakfast of waffles and muffins
Hung our wedding pictures, finally! (after almost 2 years of marriage)
Rearranged our living room
Hung smoke detectors in all 3 bedrooms 
Have some friends over for a movie & pizza night which was a perfect end to a great weekend!

Whew!  That's about it.  We got a lot finished and I am very pleased!

I hope you all had a wonderful, productive weekend as well! Have a great short 4 day week!

25 Weeks

Whew!  25 weeks already!  I know I probably say this every week, but holy crap!  The time is flying by and I can hardly believe it.

This week has been so fun!  He has finally started moving more and more and I can see my belly move in weird ways and feel it at the same time.  I LOVE IT!

It is seriously the best feeling in the world, finally knowing there's a little life in there that's doing just fine! 

We have started to plan for His room, hopefully getting the crib and changing table this weekend.  I can't wait to see it start to fall into place.  It is so fun and exciting to know that we'll have a little baby to call our own living in there come December!

I've gained about 11 lbs thus far and had an appointment today.  His heartbeat was 160 which I thought was a bit high, but apparently it's still normal and ok.  They didn't say anything differently and she said everything looked good, so I'm going to not worry.  We go back in 3 weeks for my 28 week appointment and my glucose testing.  I'm hoping that goes ok so I don't have to go back and do it again!

Everything seems to be progressing just fine and I can't really complain about anything.  So far I love being pregnant, but I know I have a long ways to go.  I think it'll go pretty fast though.

24 Weeks

It has been a good week.  No complaints here.  This week our Little Mr. has been moving off and on depending on the day.  Usually around lunch time and then sometimes at night.  I wish he would be moving more, but I'm sure in time he will be.  Right now He should be weighing in at about 1.3 lbs and measuring in at 11.8 inches.  He should be growing rapidly at this point, and I swear I am too.

How far along? 24 weeks

 

Total weight gain: A whopping 10 lbs!! Yikes!

Maternity clothes?:  Pretty much for everything

Sleep:  Sleeping is going better, ever since I've added all of the pillows.

Cravings:  Just more food! haha

Best moment this week: It's funny to see/hear the comments people say now.  It's like they can finally tell I'm pregnant and aren't afraid to ask.  Twice this week I've been told that I "walk like I'm pregnant".  I'm not so sure that's a good thing at this point, but eh o well.

Movement: Well, it's on and off... Hoping it'll be more often sooner or late.

Gender: Blue!!!!

Labor Signs: Nope

Belly Button in or out? Still in, but getting very flat.

What I miss: Some of my old clothes and feeling good about my body.

 

Weekly Wisdom:  I'm low on that again this week, sorry!

Favorite Moments: Starting to buy stuff for the nursery.  We're going to finish our registry this weekend and I cannot wait!

And finally.... The pictures! :-) I am putting one up from last week since I forgot to post it.

23 weeks

24 Weeks

And holy crap! Look at that belly!